Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini yesterday intervened – rather belatedly, according to his critics – in the strange case of three Italian aid workers arrested in Afghanistan on Saturday.
The three were arrested with six Afghan colleagues after weapons and explosive suicide vests were found in the hospital where they were working in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmland Province. The hospital is run by the NGO Emergency.
The workers are accused of plotting to kill Goulab Mangal, the Governor of Helmland Province during a planned visit to the hospital. At first the Italian government distanced itself from the plight of the workers – Doctor Marco Garatti, nurse Matteo Dell’Aria and logistics worker Matteo Pagani Bonaiuti – saying that Emergency had damaged Italy’s image by treating injured Taliban as well as Afghan civilians.
Under pressure from the Opposition, however, the government has now stepped in and Mr Berlusconi has written to Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressing his concern and expectation that the legal rights of the Italians will be respected.
They have not yet had access to a lawyer although they were visited by the Italian Ambassador to Afghanistan on Sunday. Reports that the three had confessed to involvement in the plot were later denied.
According to the head of Emergency, Gino Strada, the Italians were arrested because they bear “troublesome witness” to the suffering of civilians in Afghanistan. He alleges that NATO troops were in the hospital at the time of the arrest and British troops can be seen in a video of the event.
A demonstration in support of the three Italian workers will be held in Rome on Saturday.
Do you think the Italian government should do more to secure the workers’ release?
