Article 169 – Hostage taking.
Where the exercise of duress consists of seizing, detaining and threatening to kill, to injure or to continue to detain that person, in order to compel a third party, namely, a State, an international intergovernmental organization, a natural or juridical person, or a group of persons, to do or abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the hostage, the offence shall be punished by [].
Any preparation and attempt to commit such infractions shall also be punished.
link to complete text of the Penal Law: Laos-Penal Law-2001-2005-eng