A French freelance photographer who was held hostage in Chechnya for eight months until last June has committed suicide, his publisher said today.
Mr Brice Fleutiaux, who had recently published a book on his experiences in captivity, killed himself on Tuesday night. The publisher said he had been suffering from severe depression.
Mr Fleutiaux was captured as soon as he arrived in the breakaway Caucasus territory in October 1999 to report on the conflict there between Russian forces and rebels.
He was held by various groups until his release.