MOSCOW, April 23 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow strongly condemned on Tuesday the abduction of two Christian bishops by Syrian rebels and demanded their immediate release.
The two bishops, Yohanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi, were kidnapped on Monday in the northern province of Aleppo as they were carrying out humanitarian work.
Syrian news agency SANA reported on Monday the bishops, from the Syriac Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Churches respectively, were kidnapped at gunpoint in the village of Kafr Dael.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website Russia is doing its utmost to secure their prompt release.
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Tuesday instructed Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, who is currently attending a NATO ministerial meeting, to do all he could to ensure the bishops’ release.
About 70,000 people have died in Syria since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, according to UN estimates.
