_QR77 Newsroom
11/26/2009
Alberta journalist Amanda Lindhout, freed after 15 months of captivity in Somalia, has been re-united with her family in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
A family spokesperson says Lindhout's parents are overjoyed and request continued privacy while they focus on her transition back to normal life.
The spokesperson says they will return to Canada as soon as Lindhout is fit to fly home.
Meanwhile, Canada's ambassador to Kenya said Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan, who was also freed yesterday, were receiving medical care in Nairobi.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has described Lindhout's release as a great relief to all Canadians.
In Somalia, a police spokesman declined to say if a ransom was paid for her release. Harper's statement noted in particular that ``the government of Canada was not involved in ransom negotiations.''
The ransom paid by the family was apparently between $600,000 and $700,000.
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