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Alert

Taliban confirms it is holding Italian journalist and two Afghan guides, accuses them of spying

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has called for the immediate release of Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo and his two Afghan guides, who went missing on 4 March 2007 in southern Afghanistan and have been captured by the Taliban.

"We point out with firmness to the Taliban chiefs that kidnapping journalists is contrary to all humanitarians laws," the press freedom organisation said. "Daniele Mastrogiacomo is not a spy but a journalist, one who was doing his job as a reporter. We formally appeal for his release."

The Italian daily "La Repubblica" announced on 6 March that it had received no word for the past 48 hours from Mastrogiacomo, a staff reporter who is visiting Afghanistan and who was in the southern Kandahar region. The Italian foreign ministry confirmed that it has set up a crisis unit to handle the case.

A Taliban military chief, Mullah Dadullah, later confirmed his forces are holding Mastrogiacomo, in an audio message to Afghan and Pakistani journalists, and accused him and his Afghan guides Ajmal and Ghulam Haidar of spying for British forces. The Taliban leader said the journalists had just identified his troops' positions so as to transmit them to NATO forces. "We cannot accept that our men are in prison and that western journalists speak freely. Their fate will be decided later," Mullah Dadullah said in the message.

Mastrogiacomo is an experienced foreign correspondent who has covered wars in Somalia, Iraq and Lebanon. He went to southern Afghanistan to cover the major offensive which NATO forces have just launched against the Taliban.

Several journalists, including an Al-Jazeera crew and two Pakistani reporters, have been detained by the Taliban in recent weeks but in all cases they were quickly released safe and sound. On the other hand, freelance photographer Gabriele Torsello was held near Kandahar for 23 days in October 2006 by criminal groups, while the Taliban called for his release (see IFEX alerts of 6 November, 20, 18 and 16 October 2006).