The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, according to its Spanish acronym), freed reporter Romeo Langlois on Wednesday, May 30, after taking him as a “prisoner of war” on April 28.

As IPI reported earlier, Langlois is a correspondent for France 24 and Le Figaro, and was taken hostage during crossfire between FARC guerrillas and Colombian government forces. Although he had a wound in his left arm, the Red Cross issued a statement yesterday saying he was in good health, Reuters reported.

“I was never tied up,” the reporter said after his release. “They treated me rather like a guest. They gave me good food … they were always very respectful.”

While he berated the rebels for holding him for 33 days, Langlois also urged the media to pay more attention to the conflict. “There should be more journalists reporting with the guerrillas to show their day-to-day life,” he said, according to Reuters.

IPI welcomed Langlois’ release and urged both FARC and the government to respect the safety of journalists who report on the armed conflict.

IPI Deputy Director Anthony Mills said: “We are relieved to hear that Mr. Langlois has been released. His kidnapping highlighted the risks faced by journalists covering violent conflict everywhere. We urge all parties to conflicts to respect the right of journalists to report on both sides.”