Two Italian women aid workers, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta who are both aged 29 and their two Iraqi colleagues were kidnapped on Tuesday 7th September 2004. Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, both Italians, and Ra'ad Ali Abdul Azziz and Mahnoaz Bassam, both Iraqis, are members of "Un Ponte Per Baghdad/A Bridge to Baghdad", an independent Italian humanitarian organization that has been working in Iraq since 1992 and "INTERSOS", supported by the Italian trade union movement. Their abduction has led to demonstrations in Baghdad by children who have been involved in Bridges to Baghdad projects.
Kidnapped: Ra'ad Ali Abdul Azziz, Mahnoaz Bassam, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta - an Iraqi child calls for their release yesterday
Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad on Thursday 9th September with banners entitled "Release our Friends". Another banner said "Un Ponte Per Baghdad is a bridge for hope".
One mother on the demonstration said "My son has been sick since he was four years old, and through the long years of the embargo they were the only people supplying medicines and thereby keeping him alive. Now we are here because we are deeply moved and are praying that their lives will be saved."
There have also been many demonstrations in Italy, and messages of support from all over Iraq and the world. Silvio Berlusconi's government was criticised for not doing enough to secure the release of journalist, Enzo Baldoni, who was killed in Iraq last month. In April, four Italian security guards were kidnapped and one of them was shot dead. No ransom demands have been issued in connection with the latest kidnapping. France is also facing a hostage crisis and is still working to try to free two journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, who were kidnapped more than two weeks ago. More than 100 foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq since March 2003. Most have been freed, but 25 were killed.
Demonstration in Rome on Thursday by the Italian Peace and labour movement
Intersos is a humanitarian aid organisation promoted by the three Italian trade union confederations CGIL, CISL and UIL. The Italian aid workers are in Baghdad working on humanitarian programs sponsored through a general fundraising campaign promoted by all the three trade unions, other Italian NGOs and social groups, all of which organised a large number of public initiatives against the war in Iraq.
In order to support the call by Iraqis living abroad for the release of the two kidnapped Italian aid workers, Simona Terrotta and Simona Pari please follow the link below and sign the on-line petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/iraqis/petition.html
The Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions calls urgently and unconditionally for the immediate release unharmed of the kidnapped aid workers so that they may return to the safety of their families. Further, there must be an end to the targetting of civilian humanitarian aid and other foreign and Iraqi workers.
Posted at September 11, 2004 10:00 AM