By RFI    Sunday 23 June 2013           French President François Hollande on Sunday said he believed an Al Qaeda claim that eight European hostages held in north Africa are still alive. Five of the hostages are French.

On a visit to Qatar this weekend Hollande said he had „every reason to believe that the hostages are alive“, and that Paris was „still seeking contacts“ to free them.

But, he added, the government is seeking reliable contacts  and is trying to avoid “intermediaries who put themselves forward and who we know have only come seeking benefits for themselves“.
http://www.english.rfi.fr/africa/20130623-al-qaeda-africa-hostages-alive-hollande-says