Hostage
de:Geisel es:Rehén fr:Otage nl:Gijzelaar sv:Gisslan
A hostage is an entity which is held by a captor in order to compel another party to act or refrain from acting in a particular way. Frequently the entity held is a person. Hostage taking is often politically motivated or motivated by a desire for ransom.
Taking hostages is today considered a crime and/or terrorist act; however, it has a history of military use dating back thousands of years. The criminal activity is known as kidnapping.
Famous hostages include
- Terry Anderson
- Brian Keenan
- Terry Waite
- Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote
- Polybius, Greek historian
- Theodoric the Great
See also