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ROME, June 11: 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 on Saturday. Ms 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.
Ms Cantoni, immediately questioned by Italy’s anti-terrorism unit upon her arrival in Italy on 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.
Ms Cantoni, who ran a women’s project CARE International in Kabul, said her kidnappers often said she would soon be released.
On Thursday, they blindfolded her and asked her to get in the boot of a car, Corriere reported. She convinced them to let her stay in the car, arguing that she suffered from claustrophobia.
After a 20-minute ride, she was told to get out where she was greeted by Afghan police, Italian papers quoted her as saying.
Italian newspapers reported that Cantoni was freed in exchange for the release of Shah’s mother.
An Afghan official in Kabul confirmed that Shah’s mother was released from custody, but said that the authorities wanted to release her anyway as there was no grounds to charge her. They had originally suspected her of participating in a previous kidnapping attributed to Shah’s gang.
DEAL DENIED: Police have arrested five people over the abduction of the Italian aid worker, the Afghan government said on Saturday, dismissing speculation her release was secured through a deal with the kidnappers.
Clementina Cantoni’s release on Thursday after more than three weeks in captivity followed a decision by the Afghan authorities to free the mother of one the alleged kidnappers, a government spokesman said.
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.
Mr 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.—AFP
