Italians’ release raises hopes for hostages as ransom claims denied

THE freeing of the two Italian aid workers, Simona Torretta and Simona Pari, raised hopes other hostages might be released.

It also raised questions over how to deal with kidnappers after an Italian lawmaker yesterday said the Italian Government paid a ransom, possibly of $1 million (€810,000).

The government denied any ransom was paid.

A day after her and Ms Pari’s release, Italian aid worker Ms Torretta told reporters outside her home in Rome that her captors assured them they were not in danger. Asked if she feared she would die during her captivity, Ms Torretta first said “Yes,” but then said their abductors “reassured us. They understood the work we did.”

The two women, both 29, work for the aid group “Un Ponte per...” (A bridge to), which carries out water projects and helps Iraqi children.

They were kidnapped on September 7 in a raid on the agency’s Baghdad office.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini denied Italy paid any ransom for the women’s release.

But lawmaker Gustavo Selva, the head of the Foreign Affairs committee, said he believed the government did pay a ransom, probably $1m as reported by a Kuwaiti newspaper.

“The government has denied it, but that’s an official denial that comes in the context of the obligations of a government in order not to give the impression that it gave in to the ransom,” Mr Selva said on French radio.

Four Egyptian telecommunications workers abducted last week were also freed Monday and Tuesday, their parent company, Orascom, announced in Cairo.

Two other Egyptians still remain hostage though.

Two Iraqis seized with the Italians and four Iraqis snatched with the Egyptians have also been released.

The Egyptian charge d’affaires in Baghdad, Farouq Mabrouk, said the kidnappings were “motivated by financial reasons.”

An Orascom spokesman declined to comment on whether a ransom was paid.

More than 140 foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq - some by anti-US insurgents and others by criminals seeking ransom. At least 26 have been killed, including two Americans whose beheadings were recorded on grisly video footage on the internet.

Meanwhile, efforts were also under way to try to secure the release of two French journalists held hostage since late August.

A Frenchman, who claimed to be mediating with the hostage-takers, said he had met the two journalists and had secured a promise for their release. Philippe Brett told the Al-Arabiya television station he had reached the deal.