1. World problems
  2. Political hostage-taking

Political hostage-taking

  • Political kidnapping
  • State-sanctioned hostage-taking

Nature

The taking of a person or group of persons as hostage and threatening to kill or mutilate them if certain demands (such as the release of prisoners, the granting of political asylum, the publicity for the group or the donation of money) are not met, is often used by dissident minorities against governments. Of the techniques used by political terrorists and political dissenters, perhaps the most insidious is skyjacking. The randomness of political skyjackings, as well as the violence, makes them particularly abhorrent.

Incidence

Political kidnappings have been widely used in recent years in many different countries, notably in Spain, Italy, South Africa, Central America and the Middle East.

Broader

Kidnapping
Presentable

Aggravated by

Aerial piracy
Excellent

Related

Strategy

Value

Sanctioned
Yet to rate
Kidnapping
Yet to rate

SDG

Sustainable Development Goal #16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

Metadata

Database
World problems
Type
(D) Detailed problems
Subject
Content quality
Presentable
 Presentable
Language
English
Last update
Oct 4, 2020