Rome (AsiaNews /
Agencies) - "I was trying to tell the story of the Syrian revolution , but
it may be that this revolution has betrayed me . It is no longer the secular
revolution of Aleppo, has become something else". These
are the words of Domenico Quirico , special war correspondent for the Italian
newspaper la Stampa, who was kidnapped on April 9 on the Syrian front , on his
arrival at Ciampino airport after five months in captivity . "I
felt like I were on Mars - he said - I was not treated well ." The
government gave news of his release while the journalist was already on board a
plane to Italy . Along
with Quorico Belgian professor Pier Piccinin was also released.
Quirico
, had entered Syria from the border with Lebanon to follow the revolt against
Assad. According
to a first reconstruction of Giampiero Massolo , director of DIS , the journalist
was originally abducted by rebel jihadists. After
months of silence, they delivered him into the hands of a group of criminals,
who set up contact with the Italian authorities to start negotiations for his
release.
For
over a year kidnappings are being used as a weapon used by Islamic extremists
and criminals to terrorize the population and to obtain money or concessions. Last June Msgr. Zenari
, apostolic nuncio in Damascus, denounced
the increase in kidnappings to AsiaNews
: " Kidnappings are a silent plague that have been affecting hundreds of
families for months. Syrians are terrified by these criminal acts that have
multiple authors and purposes: from kidnaps for
extortion carried out by gangs without loyalties on either side, to those with
ethnic religious or political motivations. "
In
recent months, several religious figures have been abducted and are still in
the hands of the kidnappers : Msgr . Gregory
Yohanna Ibrahim , Syrian Orthodox bishop, Msgr . Boulos
al- Yazigi , Greek - Orthodox bishop, both
kidnapped near the border with Turkey on April 22 , Fr
. Michel Kayyal ( Armenian Catholic ) and Fr. Maher Mahfouz ( Greek -
orthodox) , kidnapped in February, Fr
. Paolo Dall'Oglio , an Italian Jesuit , who disappeared last July 30.