State hostage taking – what is it and how can we stop it?

As we learn the fantastic news of the release of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig from China, what is state hostage taking or hostage diplomacy, how prevalent is it, why does it matter, and what can we do to stop it?

Chatham House event on hostage diplomacy

Just last week, I chaired an event at Chatham House to pose these questions to Jason Rezaian and Dr Carla Ferstman. You can view the event here.

More on state hostage taking

If you’d like to read more about this growing crime, who is taken hostage, how we negotiate their release, and how we can stop the crime, read my article here.