Afghanak Home of the afghans افغانک خانه افغانها

Afghan govt announces arrests

ROME: Freed Italian hostage Clementina Cantoni identified a picture of her main kidnapper and told Italian authorities that she was never hurt nor threatened during her three weeks in captivity, Italian newspapers reported Saturday.

Cantoni, who was released o­n Thursday, said her hostage takers numbered between four and six and their leader introduced himself immediately as Timur Shah.

"Tell me what is your brother�s name, because from now o­n I am your brother," the aid worker quoted Shah as saying after her capture o­n May 16, according to daily Corriere della Sera.

Cantoni, immediately questioned by Italy�s anti-terrorism unit upon her arrival in Italy Friday, was shown a picture of Shah and identified him as the gang leader who led her kidnapping.

Apart from being tied by the ankles during the night and never being allowed a change of clothes, Cantoni said she was never mistreated or threatened.

"They never touched me," Cantoni told prosecutors, according to La Repubblica, adding that her captors allowed her to watch television and sometimes gave her newspapers in English. "The worst moment was when I was captured," the 32-year-old was quoted as saying.

Suspected kidnapper Timor Shah�s mother had been detained for questioning in connection with a separate abduction case ahead of Cantoni�s disappearance last month, Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal said.

Mashal said the government had declined to accept Shah�s demand that three other convicts be released in return for Cantoni, but said "we released Shah�s mother who was innocent and three others who were detained for questioning". The government made no deal to trade Cantoni for Shah�s mother, he said, insisting that the Afghan authorities could have released the woman earlier but delayed it after Cantoni�s kidnapping.

Afghan police arrested five people in connection with Cantoni�s kidnapping prior to her release, Mashal said Saturday. The suspects were either relatives or friends of Shah, who was still at large.

"Police have arrested five people in relation to Clementina�s abduction and are still in the police custody," he said.

The same gang that kidnapped the Italian had earlier abducted an Afghan, Hafiz Zadran, and the son of a wealthy Afghan businessman. He died in the custody of the kidnappers, said Mashal.