Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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November 9, 2008

Abducted Canadian Journalist Freed in Afghanistan
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1F3C6F6:A6F02AD83191E16069A0925766DBA525D937473925D9872C&
 
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent Mellissa Fung was
abducted last month while reporting in a refugee camp just outside the
Afghan capital 
A Canadian journalist who was kidnapped in Afghanistan has been freed
after four weeks in captivity. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Kabul
that western media organizations did not report on Mellissa Fung's
abduction until negotiators had secured her release. Freed Canadian
journalist Mellissa Fung, left, talks with Canadian Ambassador to
Afghanistan Ron Hoffman at the National Directorate of Security in
Kabul, Saturday, 08 Nov. 2008Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
correspondent Mellissa Fung was abducted last month while reporting in a
refugee camp just outside the Afghan capital. Her captors took her to
Wardak province, west of Kabul, where she was held for four weeks in
what she described as a cramped cave. In a video issued by Afghanistan's
intelligence agency following her release late Saturday, Fung appeared
calm and coherent while she answered questions from officials about her
time in captivity. Question: Had they chained you? Answer: Yes.
Question: Hands and legs? Answer: Hands and legs, but the first three
weeks they had someone with me the whole time -- watching me, so they
didn't chain me. But the last week they left me and they chained me.
Western news organizations in Kabul had refrained from reporting Fung's
abduction while her employer and Afghan officials negotiated with her
captors. Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security spokesman Sayed
Ansari told a news conference Sunday that three men have been arrested
in connection with her kidnapping. He said national security directorate
employees in recent weeks were able to locate the hideout of the
kidnappers. He said by using different tactics and local tribal leaders
they pressured the gang to release the reporter. Officials said no
ransom was paid for her release and it is believed her kidnapping was
the work of a criminal gang -- not Taliban insurgents. Fung is the
second abducted journalist released in recent days. On Friday, a Dutch
reporter who was kidnapped about a week ago outside Kabul was freed.
Afghanistan has experience
d a surge in kidnappings in recent months that mainly target wealthy
Afghans. Officials blame for-profit criminal gangs for taking advantage
of the breakdown in security caused by the Taliban insurgency. Last
week, the Afghan Supreme Court said there were more than 100 people
awaiting execution for kidnapping, murder and other serious crimes. The
Court said some of those awaiting execution are Taliban militants, but
most are criminals. 


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