The Euros always cave to extortion.
BBC
Some Taleban kidnap demands met
La Repubblica journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo
Daniele Mastrogiacomo, 52, thought he would be killed
Daniele's ordeal
The Afghan government has said it met some of the demands the Taleban made in exchange for the release of an Italian journalist they abducted two weeks ago.
A spokesman did not specify what the demands were, but a senior Taleban commander said several leaders had been freed from government custody.
Daniele Mastrogiacomo, of La Repubblica newspaper, was freed on Monday.
But relatives of the reporter's driver, beheaded by the kidnappers, accused the government of ignoring his plight.
About 150 of Sayed Agha's relatives gathered for a protest in his native Helmand province, denouncing what they said were double standards by the Afghan and Italian authorities.
They demanded that the government return his body, the Associated Press news agency said.
Journalists have also denounced the deal, saying the precedent it sets is likely to make their work much more dangerous.
An Afghan translator also kidnapped with Mr Mastrogiacomo, Ajmal Naqshbandi, is still being held.
The three men were seized two weeks ago in Helmand.
'No known precedents'
A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said the government had taken an "exceptional measure", which it would not repeat, to free the journalist.
Mohammad Karim Rahimi said the Taleban's demands were met because of his government's friendship with Italy.
He refused to confirm the prisoner exchange - or give details - but said one Taleban prisoner had refused to go free.
"He didn't want to be released through this process, in exchange with the Italian journalist," Mr Rahimi said, without giving the prisoner's name.
On Monday the Taleban said five of its leaders had been exchanged.
The exchange prompted accusations from opposition parties in Italy that Rome had given in to terrorists.
"Italy is in Afghanistan ... to help with the country's reconstruction, achieving that also by combating terrorism," Senator Alfredo Mantovano was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency.
"Now it turns out that terrorists are released in exchange for the release of an Italian. There are no known precedents for that in Italian missions abroad."
In chains
Mr Mastrogiacomo was abducted while trying to interview senior Taleban officials.
The men were kept in chains and moved 15 times while in captivity, he said.
Fears for Mr Mastrogiacomo's safety grew last week when reports first emerged that Sayed Agha, a father of four, had been killed.
The journalist later said the killing was carried out in front of him by their Taleban guards.
Shortly afterwards, a tape was released in which the journalist said he had just two days to live.
Contacts to negotiate his freedom intensified, culminating in his handover to Italian representatives on Monday. |
