Mother of Freed Journalist 'Overjoyed' at His Release
Michael Scott Moore had been held by Somali pirates since 2012.
— -- The "elated" mother of freed journalist Michael Scott Moore said that she is eagerly awaiting his return after being held captive by pirates since 2012.
"I'm so relieved and overjoyed that my son, after over two and a half years in captivity in Somalia, has finally been released," his mother Marlis told ABC News.
German-US Reporter Held in Somalia Is Freed
She said that she had spoken to him "very briefly" as he is undergoing a medical evaluation after being flown to the capital of Kenya. He was released by Somali pirates on Tuesday. They claim that they were paid $1.6 million for his release.
A special German Foreign Ministry crisis group and German federal police had worked "very closely" with U.S. authorities to win Moore's freedom, according to the Associated Press, after he was kidnapped on Jan. 21, 2012, while researching a book on piracy. Moore has both U.S. and German citizenship.
"We're just all elated and overjoyed at the news and we hope to reunite with him very quickly," his mother said.