Afghanistan - Kidnappers demand return of Christian refugee in exchange for Italian

AFP via Babelfish translation | October 17, 2006

[HAL9000]

Afghanistan: ultimatum of the kidnappers of the Italian photographer

ROME - the kidnappers of the Italian photographer removed in Afghanistan required Tuesday the return to the country of an Afghan converted with Christianity and refugee into Italy, in exchange of "the life of Gabriele Torsello", in a call with ONG Italian Emergency, according to the Italian site PeaceReporter.

The kidnappers gave four days so that their request is satisfied, in a telephone contact with a person in charge for the safety of the hospital of Lashkar Gah (southern of Afghanistan).

It is this same person in charge that the independent photographer had called Thursday to announce his removal, then Monday evening to give its news.

This information was each time relayed by by the Italian site of information in PeaceReporter line. This one has bonds privileged with Emergency which manages the hospital of Lashkar Gah.

"We want that this business is finished before the end of the Ramadan", months of Moslem fast which finishes at the weekend, declared the kidnappers Tuesday, according to the PeaceReporter site.

The Italian journalist exchanged some words with this same person in charge, affirming that it felt "like Ci, like that". Monday evening, it had affirmed by the same channel that it was well.

Abdul Rahman, 41 years, an Afghan converted with Christianity, is taken refuge since March in Italy where it obtained the political asylum.

Decree and liable to the death penalty to have abjured Islam, according to the charia (Islamic law) into force in Afghanistan, Abdul Rahman had been released after a wave of protest in the countries Western and transferred in the greatest secrecy in Italy.

The Italian Minister for the Foreign Affairs Massimo D' Alema ensured Monday that Rome had activated "all its contacts" to try to obtain the release of the photographer who "had been informed dangerosity of his mission".

"All the elements indicate that it acts of a removal and regard we it as such", had declared its ministry Sunday.

Gabriele Torsello, 36 years a photographer independent based in London, married and father of a child, is converted with Islam. It traversed the world these ten last years, going in particular to the Cashmere (India), in Libya or in Nepal.

Italian media had written Sunday that it would be shown of espionage by the talibans. A spokesman of the talibans, Yousuf Ahmadi, had however indicated Sunday to AFP in Kabul not to be informed of the abduction.

[CMS]

Kidnappers demand return of Christian refugee in exchange for Italian

Or in other words Unless you give us this man so we can kill him, we will kill this man.

I am so sick of the F'ING cancerous cult of death called islam. It needs to be erradicated from the planet

[Alberta's Child]

Why doesn't the Italian government just take some Sicilian gangster serving a long prison term, pretend he's the guy who converted to Christianity, and send him to Afghanistan?

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Today's word, children, is "dangerosity."