Afghans demand clarity in Mastrogiacomo affair
Rome (AsiaNews) – For Afghans in Italy and at home, a double standard was applied in handling the Mastrogiacomo affair, one for the Italian journalist who was freed in exchange of five Taliban commanders, and one for his two Afghan aides whose fate is still shrouded in mystery.
“Since we Afghans living in Italy did our utmost for Daniele Mastrogiacomo’s release, so we call on the international community, not only in Kabul, to do something about our compatriot who was freed with the journalist but whose fate remains unknown,” Qorbanali Esmaeli, president of the Italian Afghan Association, told AsiaNews. On March 8, Mr Esmaeli made an appeal in Pashtu for the release of the Italian journalist.
When Mr Mastrogiacomo was abducted on March 5 so were his driver and interpreter. Their fate has been the subject of contradictory claims. What is certain is that the driver, Sayed Agha, 24, was beheaded by mullah Dadullah’s men, who claim he was a spy.
Afghan news agency Pajhwok reported that his body, which the family insisted on having, was found on March 19. Citing a cousin of the victim, it said that residents in the Laki Spara area found and then buried it. The next day, relatives disinterred it and took it home.
But the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), quoting local sources, said that according to one Sayed Agha’s cousin, Abdul Razzaq, three of his male relatives went to retrieve the body, but then were intercepted by the Talibans.
“On the way back, they were stopped by the Taliban,” said Razzaq. “They asked why they didn’t have permission to get the body. Then they were arrested by” them.
Mastrogiacomo’s second assistant, interpreter and journalist Ajmal Naqshbandi, was seen free with the Italian journalist, but his family has not yet had any news about his fate.
He is very likely in the custody of Afghan intelligence for debriefing but Pajhwok claimed he was still in Taliban hands.
The Italian Embassy in Kabul stated that it was working to shed light on the whole affair, whilst groups defending press freedom have already made appeals for Mr Naqshbandi’s “liberation.”
The Italian Afghan Association has also expressed its concern over Naqshbandi’s fate. “For now all we want is some clarification. But if the man was indeed left in the hands of the Talibans it would be a serious thing. It is clear that his case was handled differently from Mastrogiacomo’s.”
Mr Qorbanali is “very happy” about the Italian journalist’s release. He is however concerned that “this type of negotiations to free the hostage might set a precedent for similar events and induce the terrorists to repeat their acts.”
In Afghanistan many think the same way. On condition that his name be kept secret, one Afghan said: “We feel that a double standard was used for the two hostages and we want clarity. For us prisoner exchange is not something strange; it is part of our tradition. But it is unacceptable that there are no traces about our surviving compatriot and that the other one was killed.”
Other Afghans have warned that “the consequences of this event for Italians in Afghanistan will be serious. Italians now have a reputation for paying good money. Chances are high that some might take revenge against Italian targets, including the offices of the Italian humanitarian NGO Emergency (which acted as go-between during the negotiations). (MA)
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