Journalist Freed
July 25, 2007
Contrary to initial information, a journalist kidnapped in Afghanistan and set free within hours was Danish, not German, according to German and international media reports.
A spokesman for the Kunar province where the kidnapping occurred said Wednesday that the hostage was a Dane of Afghan heritage.
Earlier Wednesday the province's governor, Shalezai Dedar, had said the reporter was German, setting off false speculation that a Stern news magazine journalist Christoph Reuter in Afghanistan was being held hostage.
Stern editors, however, confirmed they had received word from Reuter via text message that he was safe and had neither been taken hostage nor in the eastern Afghan province where the kidnapping took place.
A Danish Foreign Ministry spokesman said that they were looking into the reports, but didn't have any further information.
The online version of Germany's Spiegel news magazine reported Wednesday that the now released Danish journalist was researching civilian casualties of bomb attacks. The report said the journalist planned to return to Denmark as soon as possible.
South Korean hostage killed
The German government is continuing efforts to secure the release of the German engineer taken hostage in Afghanistan. A second hostage died in captivity. His body arrived in Germany on Wednesday and is scheduled for an autopsy Thursday to determine if multiple gunshot wounds caused his death or if he was shot after dying of other circumstances.
The kidnappers have demanded the release of 10 prisoners held by the Afghan government, though they have not given an ultimatum on when the prisoners must be released in order for the remaining German and four Afghans he was kidnapped with to be set free.
Meanwhile, the Afghan government has confirmed that Taliban militants holding 23 South Koreans had killed one of their captives Wednesday. This group of militants is also demanding the Afghan government release of eight Taliban fighters from prison.
"Since Kabul's administration did not listen to our demand and did not free our prisoners, the Taliban shot dead a male Korean hostage," Qari Mohammad Yousuf told reporters by telephone from an unknown location.
"If the administration of Kabul is not ready to release our hostages, then by 1 a.m. (local time) the rest of the hostages will be killed," he said. "That time is the last deadline."