Gabriele Torsello

"Kash" Gabriele Torsello is an Italian freelance photojournalist based in London who was abducted in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on October 12 2006. Torsello, a Muslim convert, was released on November 3 2006. He is author of "The Heart of Kashmir". [cite news |title=A story in black and white |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/FA24Df04.html |work=Asia Times |date=2004-01-24 |accessdate=2008-02-27 ] [cite news |title= The Heart of Kashmir |url=http://www.mywire.com/pubs/NewInternationalist/2003/08/01/1368681?extID=10051 |work=New Internationalist |date=2003-08-01 |accessdate=2008-02-27 ]

Kidnapping

Torsello was traveling on a bus from Helmand to Kandahar in southern Afghanistan when he was seized.

His captors moved him into a different location: "They arrived and opened the door. One of them grabbed me and took me out without letting me put my shoes on and without blindfolding me, a thing that they always did. He pushed me hard. I had the chains - I couldn't follow him and I had to jump to be able to follow him. I thought they were going to kill me. But they put me in a car instead." He was kept in chains in a windowless room during his captivity, living on a diet of potatoes and Afghan bread dipped in soup.

Countries visited

*1994 Indian Kashmir
*1995 Pakistani Kashmir
*1997 Albania
*2001 Pakistani Kashmir/Afghanistan
*2005 Nepal
*2006 Afghanistan

References

* [http://nujphoto.co.uk/gabriele_torsello.htm The Kash Notice Board - daily updates and messages of goodwill]
* [http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19323 Reporters without Borders : Free Gabriele Torsello Petition]
* Muslim Council of Britain, 4 February 2004 : [http://www.mcb.org.uk/features/features.php?ann_id=216 The Heart of Kashmir]
* MCB Feature Item, 5 May 2004 : [http://www.mcb.org.uk/features/features.php?ann_id=317 "Interview with Kash Gabriele Torsello : Reflections on Kashmir - the forgotten people"]
* BBC News, 15 October 2006 : [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6052186.stm "Reporter Abducted in Afghanistan"]
* EPUK, 26 October 2006 : [http://www.epuk.org/News/399/italian-muslims-call-for-torsello-release "Call for Torsello Release"]
* NPPA, 1 November 2006 : [http://www.nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2006/11/torsello07.html "Negotiations Continue"]
* Peace Reporter, 3 November 2006 : [http://www.peacereporter.net/default.php"Gabriele Torsello is Free"]
* EPUK, 3 November 2006 : [http://www.epuk.org/News/404/torsello-released-by-kidnappers "Afghan Kidnappers Release Photojournalist"]