Hostages

Hostages are individuals held captive by another person or group, often as a means of coercion or bargaining. Their freedom is restricted, and their well-being is threatened, with the captors using them to compel specific actions or concessions. The intent is typically to influence governments, organizations, or individuals, with the hostage’s safety hanging in the balance while negotiations or demands are made. This act constitutes a serious crime with severe legal and ethical implications.

Hostages meaning with examples

• The terrorists seized several embassy employees, turning them into hostages to pressure the government to release imprisoned comrades. News agencies worldwide broadcasted live reports, showing the hostages’ families’ anguish while the government considered negotiating tactics. International mediators arrived, attempting to secure the hostages' safe return and prevent any bloodshed amidst the tense situation.
• Following a bank robbery, the perpetrators took several customers as hostages, barricading themselves inside the vault. The police established a perimeter, communicating with the hostage-takers and assessing the hostages' welfare through limited contact. Crisis negotiators worked tirelessly to establish rapport, promising a safe passage out of the bank for both the perpetrators and the hostages.
• The activist group took prominent business leaders as hostages, demanding environmental reforms from their corporations. They released videos featuring the hostages, emphasizing their plight and linking it to the company’s detrimental ecological practices. The corporations faced a PR nightmare, struggling with the moral dimensions of negotiating with the hostage-takers while safeguarding their brand image.
• During a prison riot, inmates took several guards as hostages, issuing demands for better living conditions and improved legal representation. The prison warden engaged in lengthy negotiations, balancing the guards' safety with the overall security of the institution. Special forces units prepared a rescue plan, ready to intervene if the situation escalated and the lives of the hostages were directly threatened.