Family of missing man held captive in neighbour's cellar for nearly 30 years speak out

The family of a man who spent almost 30 years in captivity in a cellar have spoken out after he was discovered.

Omar bin Omran had vanished from the Algerian city of Djelfa in 1997 when he was 17, with his family fearing that he had died.

They believed he must have died as a victim of the crossfire of the civil war which was going on in the country at the time, but he was instead being held captive in a cellar about 300ft from where they lived.

He was rescued last Sunday (12 May) from the home of a 61-year-old neighbour, a full 27 years after he went missing.

Now 45 years old, he was reportedly found in a hay covered contraption compared to a 'sheep pen' in the cellar of the home.

Omar bin Omran was found in a cellar after almost 30 years in captivity. (EnnaharTv)

Footage of the moment he was discovered ended up on social media, and showed Omar looking to his rescuers.

A court official in Djelfa said: "Two days ago, on 12 May 2024, the Public Prosecutor's Office received, through the regional department of the National Gendarmerie in El Jadid, a complaint against an anonymous person claiming that the complainant's brother, Omar bin Omran, who has been missing for about 30 years, is in the house of one of his neighbours, inside a sheepfold.

"Following this report the General Prosecutor of the Court of Idrisiya in the province of Djelfa ordered the National Gendarmerie to open an in-depth investigation and officers went to the house in question.

"The missing person was found and the suspect, the 61-year-old owner of the house was arrested."

Omar's mother died in 2013 without ever knowing what happened to her son, but other members of his family have spoken on his release.

Omar and his dog, who his family say waited outside the building he was kidnapped in for two weeks before being killed. (EnnaharTv)

His cousin Khaled Reggab told Echorouk News that Omar's health was good but that he wasn't used to being outside.

He said: "I have no information about him but according to what I saw his health condition is good, it is not critical.

"His psychological state is shocked, and more than shocked, he is afraid, especially since he was detained, meaning he is not accustomed to being [outside].

"Omar is still under therapeutic and psychological care at this minute. I see [his family] in a catastrophic shock."

Reggab also said that for the first two weeks of his captivity Omar's dog had waited for him outside the arrested man's house, before alleging that the accused kidnapper killed it to silence it.

He also said that they asked Omar why he didn't try to make noise or shout for help, and explained that his cousin said he 'was not able to even speak or even walk'.