Somali pirates free British couple after a year

By the CNN Wire Staff

November 14, 2010 -- Updated 1536 GMT (2336 HKT)

(CNN) -- A British couple kidnapped by pirates has been released after more than a year in captivity, Somali leaders said Sunday.

Paul and Rachel Chandler were seized from their yacht in October last year, just after they set sail from the Seychelles Islands for Tanzania.

The Chandlers landed in Kenya late Sunday afternoon, said Abdurraham Omar Osman, Somali government spokesman.

A ransom of about $750,000 was paid for their release, local elders said. They did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

It was unclear who paid the ransom, but a local elder told CNN that the Somali diaspora in England played a key role in raising the funds.

"They are physically and mentally doing well, and excited to be alive," said Mohamed Aden, a local elder in Adado. "Paul and Rachel Chandler are safe and doing fine.They have had a good shower and they are eating breakfast."

Aden was one of the key elders involved in helping secure their release.

Last year, Paul Chandler pleaded for their life in a two-minute video broadcast on Britain's Channel 4. He was surrounded by armed men pointing weapons at him.

At the time, Chandler said the captors could kill them if a $7 million ransom were not paid.

"We are concerned that these people will lose patience and will not feed us -- and I have no doubt that they will not hesitate to kill us, perhaps within a week or so of now if there is no response," he said. "So, please somebody get in touch. Otherwise we just sleepwalk to a tragic ending."

Last year, British officials have refused to pay a ransom or negotiate with pirates. Officials have said doing so would only encourage more kidnappings.

"The government will not make substantive concessions for hostage takers, including the payments of ransom," the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement.

Pirates have been very active off the east coast of Africa in the past several years, operating out of lawless Somalia.

CNN's David McKenzie contributed to this report.