AFGHANISTAN: PRESIDENT'S OFFICE REJECTS CLAIMS BY KIDNAPPER THAT ITALIAN WOMAN HOSTAGE CLEMENTINA CANTONI HAS BEEN KILLED

Record ID: 230562

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN: PRESIDENT'S OFFICE REJECTS CLAIMS BY KIDNAPPER THAT ITALIAN WOMAN HOSTAGE CLEMENTINA CANTONI HAS BEEN KILLED
  • Date: 21st May 2005
  • Summary: (BN11)KABUL,AFGHANISTAN (MAY 20, 2005)(REUTERS) 1. SLV POLICE CHECKING CARS; SLV ARMED AFGHAN POLICE STANDING; SLV POLICE CHECKING VEHICLE (5 SHOTS) 0.23 2. WIDE SHOT OF JAWED LUDIN, PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI'S SPOKESMAN 0.28 3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) JAWED LUDIN, SAYING: "No I don't think that it's true(killing). I think those kind of statements he has tried to make to a number of media sources, we don't know what the purpose is really. But the information that I could give you, although I would have to obviously respect the fact the there is a process going on there, there is negotiations that are still going on but the information I could give, you know, is that we believe she is still okay and in fact from the government side with the assistance of the international community we are now negotiating with the hostage taker to make sure that Miss clementina Cantoni can be release safely and soundly." 1.27 4. SCU HANDOUT PICTURE OF ITALIAN HOSTAGE FROM CARE 1.34 5. (SOUNDBITE)(English) LUDIN,SAYING: "Well as I said I can not comment on his crimes (hostage takers). What I can say for sure is that as we speak there is still negotiation going on." 1.52 (EU) UNKNOWN LOCATION (RECENT ) (HAND OUT) 6. MV ITALIAN HOSTAGE CANTONI GIVING FOOD TO WIDOWS IN KABUL (3 SHOTS) 2.04 (EU)KABUL,AFGHANISTAN (MAY 20, 2005) (REUTERS) 9. SLV SECURITY ON STREETS; SLV POLICE CHECKING CARS; SLV ARMED POLICE WALKING; SLV POLICE CHECKING CARS 2.38 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 5th June 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KABUL,AFGHANISTAN
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Reuters ID: LVA1ZVT8GSQSHNZ67EQUQAKFNW9D
  • Story Text: Afghanistan President's office rejects claims by
    kidnapper that Italian woman hostage has been killed.




    A man claiming to have kidnapped an Italian aid
    worker in Afghanistan told Reuters on Friday (May 20, 2005)
    he had killed her, but a government spokesman said she was
    still alive.

    Clementina Cantoni, 32, who works for the CARE
    International aid agency, was snatched on Monday (May 16)
    when four gunmen stopped her vehicle on a central Kabul
    street and bundled her into a white Toyota car.

    Timoor Shah, who has claimed in several conversations
    with media to be holding Cantoni, said he had killed her
    after President Hamid Karzai's government refused to accept
    his demands.

    "We strangled her with a rope at nine o'clock last
    night," said Shah, who was contacted on Cantoni's mobile
    phone number.

    "I will not give her body to anyone," he said.

    Karzai's spokesman, Jawed Ludin, dismissed the man's
    claim and said Cantoni was still alive.

    "NO I don't think that it'S true(killing). I think
    those kinds of statement he has tried to make to a number
    of media sources, we don't know what the purpose is really.

    But the information that I could give,
    you know, although I would have to obviously respect the
    fact the there is a process going on there.There
    is negotiations that still going on but the information I
    could give you know is that, we believe she is still okay
    and in fact from the government side with the assistance
    of the international community we are now negotiating with the hostage
    taker to make sure that Miss Clementina Cantoni
    can be released safely and soundly." Said ludin
    Cantoni's abduction raised fresh fears among Kabul's
    2,000-strong foreign community of Iraq-style
    kidnappings by anti-government insurgents but officials
    said the kidnapper was Shah, the leader of a criminal gang.

    In talks to media he listed different demands including
    the banning of a radio programme deemed "vulgar",
    compensation for opium farmers who have to abandon their
    crop, and more Islamic education.

    Sources close to the negotiations later said he was no
    longer insisting on those demands. But officials did not
    reveal what he was demanding.

    "I killed her because the government didn't listen or
    accept my demands," Shah said. He declined to
    elaborate, saying: "The matter is over."
    Ludin dismissed the claim.

    "Well as I said I can not comment on his crimes (hostage
    takers ). What I can say for sure is that as we speak there
    are still negotiations going on," said ludin.

    In his talks to media, Shah gave two ultimatums, one on
    Wednesday evening and one on Thursday morning but
    government officials said Shah had told them he had not set
    any deadline.

    Afghan officials said on Wednesday Shah's claim and
    demands were not credible and they doubted he was holding
    Cantoni but on Thursday Interior Ministry spokesman
    Lufullah Mashal said Shah was indeed the kidnapper.

    But there still appeared to be doubts.

    One official close to the investigation said on Thursday
    there had been several claims of responsibility.

    "We are taking them all seriously," he said.

    Afghanistan has seen a surge in kidnap for ransom,
    including of children, since U.S.-led forces ousted the
    Taliban in 2001.

    Three U.N. election workers were kidnapped in Kabul in
    October and held for 27 days before being released
    unharmed.
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