I guess? Politically speaking they would have wanted him kept well considering the people asking after him, but it’s still politically a bad look on both governments if this guy is still not freed.

I think they’re making some attempts at damage control, I dont think it’s surprising that people didn’t expect a politician to bother trying to find him, and when one did they scrambled to spin a story.

It’ll work for some, but the crux is that both states claimed his freedom wasn’t possible to facilitate because he couldn’t be found, and now they’ll have to keep justifying ways to keep him there, which in itself is just eyes on a story the governments of both countries would rather just go away.