Two French journalists held hostage in Iraq for more than two months should be freed in several days, a spokesman for a group of Iraqi intellectuals has been quoted as telling France's Radio Orient.
Fadel al Roubaiy, who also represents a "high committee of national forces against the occupation," said negotiations were in the final stage. He spoke in Arabic by telephone from Baghdad, the radio said on Sunday.
Radio Orient told journalits Roubaiy was close to negotiations for the release of Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot.
The French Foreign Ministry declined to comment.
"I can say that this day we are in the last stage that should allow to assure the return of the two French journalists to Paris," Roubaiy said. "We have finished all the required formalities."
"Their release should take place in several days," he said, adding the journalists were doing well.
The kidnapping of the journalists and their Syrian driver on August 20 stunned France, which opposed the US-led war in Iraq.
Paris mobilised a wide front of Arab leaders and Muslim figures to call for their release but this did not bring them freedom and initial hopes gave way to growing caution.
Efforts by two freelance mediators, one a parliamentarian, were criticised by France and also came to nothing.
Roubaiy said some French diplomats had taken "unacceptable initiatives" in making contact with intermediaries to get the hostages freed.
A senior French politician said on October 13 that the French government believed the journalists were still alive and that indirect contact with the hostage-takers had renewed.
US bombings near the region from Ramadi to Al Qaem had disrupted a secure transfer of the hostages, preventing their earlier release, Roubaiy said.
He said the negotiations did not involve paying a ransom.
Radio Orient gave Reuters a translated partial text of the interview.