Youtuber Addison Pierre Maalouf, known as YourFellowArab, claims he was kidnapped in Hati due to his 'colour'

A Youtuber who was kidnapped in Haiti claims that he was captured because of his colour.

Influencer YourFellowArab, whose real name is Addison Pierre Maalouf, was reportedly taken in mid-March before been released on Saturday (March 30). He had supposedly been held for 17 days.

It is alleged that he was taken by a gang called Mawozo, whom he had gone to see in the Caribbean country. According to local reports, he was held for a ransom of thousands of pounds. It's unclear if this money was paid before he was released.

It is thought the gang promised to give Maalouf back his laptop, equipment and camera, which they had seized at the time of his kidnapping, but they only returned the camera - after removing the SD card. Now, Maalouf has taken to his X account to share further details of his ordeal with his 229,000 followers. So, just who is Maalouf and what has he said about his kidnapping? Keep reading to find out all you need to know.

Who is Addison Pierre Maalouf?

Maalouf is an American travel vlogger, but with a difference. He visits places across the world which many consider to be unsafe and meets individuals thought to be dangerous. On his Youtube channel, @YourFellowArab, which boasts almost 1.5 million followers, he describes his role as "travel vlogging the unknown".

His videos include 'hunting pirates in the Red Sea', 'inside America's most demonic city', 'scammers attack me in Dubai's illegal markets' and '100 hours of living with the Mexican Cartel'.

What has Addison Pierre Maalouf said about his kidnapping?

Maalouf first announced his kidnappers had released him just after 5pm on Saturday on his X account, @YourFellowArab. Referring to a viral meme, he wrote: "Cameraman never dies. I’ve been released. Glory be to God. Christ is King." Minutes later he added that he had been "kidnapped in the middle of the Haitian Desert 60 minutes away from any civilization in a concrete shack surrounded by barbed wire".

He continued: "I was kidnapped purely for the colour of my skin. I was kidnapped for being a 'Blanc'. Can’t give any more detail till I’m home, but all I will say for now is - Glory be to God. Released between Good Friday & Easter, Christ is King."

He later posted a video about his experience, but provoked backlash from people who said he was 'hating on Haiti'. He defended his video in a further X post. He said: "I just want to make something clear about a video that I posted hating on Haiti. "I have dozens of videos talking about how this is the most beautiful country in the world. I have told my family that when things get better I want to come back here and visit. And I spent the last 36 hours meeting with many families here in their homes and full of gratitude.

I posted that video about how it is a horrible country because what I have been through. After everything, I was peacefully leaving and someone tried to extort me again and now I am detained for no reason and no explanation and my family was expecting me to show up tonight and see them after 17 days. "Forgive me for coming off frustrated. I love Haiti and all it's beauty. I hope that next time I come back I can be shown around properly and show the beautiful parts and people of this country for the world to see. My love to Haiti & it's people that deserve a better situation."

His comments come as a recent United Nations report said more than 1,500 people in Haiti have died due to gang violence since the beginning of 2024. Hundreds of thousands of others have fled their homes and are living on the street.