JEDDAH, 22 February 2003 — Yemeni national and former Afghan freedom fighter Amin Mohammed Al-Bakri has been missing in Thailand since last December.
Al-Bakri left for Bangkok, where, according to a member of his family, he went “to clear his head.”
On Dec. 31 he was seen leaving the downtown Narai hotel and has not been heard of since.
Al-Bakri was bought up in the Kingdom and still has many relatives in Madinah.
In the early eighties, he joined the Mujahedeen and was an active member in the relief effort during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
He was reported to be on the brink of death after an ambush attack which left many of his fellow Mujahedeen dead.
Al-Bakri returned to Saudi Arabia in 1990 before settling in his native Yemen, where he became involved in the mining and import and export business mostly centered on Africa and Madagascar.
While on a business trip in Madagascar a few months prior to Sept. 11 2001, Al-Bakri was detained and interrogated by the FBI, but was released after a month. Fearing for his safety, Al-Bakri again returned to Yemen.
Al-Bakri was said to be suffering from marital and emotional problems when he decided to go to Bangkok.
“We have filed a missing persons report,” Al-Bakri’s relative told Arab News. “We are co-operating with the Thai authorities.”
“This is out of character for Amin. We hope he is well and will return home soon,” the relative added.
