Captors Free Lebanese Prof. Held Five Months

BEIRUT — Kidnapers released a Lebanese professor at the American University of Beirut after holding him hostage for more than five months and he returned to work today.

The release came hours after an underground organization said it kidnaped Edward Austin Tracy, one of the few Americans still in Muslim West Beirut.

University spokesman Radwan Mawlawi said Nabil Matar, a 36-year-old Christian who is an associate professor of cultural studies, was freed overnight in West Beirut. Mawlawi said Matar was in “fairly good shape” after 168 days of captivity.

He offered no explanation as to why Matar was freed.

Later, Matar refused to comment on his detention but told reporters, “As you can see, I am very happy, in good health and back at AUB.”

He was sitting in an office next to his at the university, surrounded by fellow professors and students who brought juice and cakes to celebrate his release. He looked relaxed and was in good spirits.

The university issued a statement saying: “The AUB administration expresses gratitude to all government authorities and to political and religious leaderships and organizations whose incessant efforts led to the release of Professor Matar.” It did not elaborate.

Matar was kidnaped May 7 as he walked from his home in West Beirut’s Ras Beirut residential district to the nearby campus.

A group calling itself the Independent Movement for Freeing Civil War Kidnap Victims claimed responsibility for the abduction in a statement May 18.

The group said Matar’s abduction was part of its campaign to force the government of President Amin Gemayel, a Christian, to determine the fate of about 2,200 missing Muslims allegedly held by Christian militias.

The group also claimed it killed several Armenian Christians in West Beirut last May as part of its campaign to pressure the government.

About 60 foreigners have been kidnaped in West Beirut since January, 1984. Christians control the eastern sector of the capital, where the U.S. Embassy is located.