Italian hostage freed in Afghanistan
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian aid worker held hostage in Afghanistan has been released after more than three weeks in captivity, according to Italian and Afghan officials.
Clementina Cantoni, 32, was abducted May 16 when her unmarked car was stopped as she was driving home in Kabul.
"We tried during these 24 days to persuade the abductors to release her," Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali on Thursday.
"She came from Italy, left her home and helped the Afghan people. She was working with widows, the most vulnerable victims of war."
Jalali said the support of the Afghan people and its government, along with tribal leaders who negotiated with the kidnappers, eventually brought about her release.
"We followed the policy of the government of Afghanistan," he said. "We did not give any concession to kidnappers. No ransom was paid, and no other concessions were given."
Jalali also said that Cantoni spoke with her mother after her release and "is in good health" considering the 24-day ordeal.
The Italian Interior Ministry and the CARE International aid organization also confirmed Cantoni's release.
"It is with profound joy and relief that CARE International announces the safe release on June 9, 2005 of Clementina Cantoni," the aid agency said in a statement.
"CARE International joins with Clementina's family in expressing deep gratitude for the expressions of support and concern from her friends in Afghanistan over the past three weeks."
Beatrice Spadacini, a CARE International spokeswoman, told CNN by telephone that staff from the aid organization had met with Cantoni.
"They were delighted to see that she was in good health and had been taken care of properly. She is now in the hands of Italian authorities."
Spadacini said she anticipated that Cantoni, who is from Milan, would return to Italy on Friday.
Captor's demands
Cantoni, an aid worker for 10 years, has been in Afghanistan since March 2002 and runs a program called "Humanitarian Assistance for the Women of Afghanistan" for CARE.
Afghan television stations aired a videotape of Cantoni on May 29 after some media outlets reported she had been killed.
Those reports prompted denials from her purported captor, Temur Shah, who had threatened to kill her if the government failed to meet his demands.
Those demands included more Islamic schools, more aid for opium farmers and the removal of a liberal radio show from the airwaves.
Cantoni is the fourth Italian to be kidnapped and released in the last 12 months. Three others were freed in a "coalition operation," and two more were killed by their kidnappers.
In March, journalist Giuliana Sgrena was the last hostage released. Moments later, she was wounded and the Italian intelligence agent who negotiated her release was killed when U.S. soldiers fired on their car at a checkpoint.
The United States and Italy ultimately agreed to disagree on the cause of the shooting, with the Americans saying the car drove toward the checkpoint fast and failed to acknowledge warnings and the Italians saying the opposite was true.
Last September, two other aid workers were kidnapped and later released. Simona Torretta and Simona Pari, both 29, were working for a humanitarian group called "Bridge to Baghdad" when insurgents raided their office.
Last August, journalist Enzo Baldoni was abducted and killed.
Four other Italians, unidentified by authorities, were abducted on April 12. One of them was killed by his captors soon afterward. But the other three, along with a Pole kidnapped at the same time, were freed by coalition forces in early August.
