Quick Facts
Biography
Rahmatullah Hanefi is a citizen of Afghanistan.
Rahmatullah worked for an Italian charity named "Emergency", where he was the director of a hospital the charity ran.
Rescue of Gabriele Torsello
Rahmatullah successfully negotiated the release of Gabriele Torsello, an Italian taken hostage in October 2006.
The Independent reports that Rahmatullah carried a $2 million ransom to secure Torsello's release.
Rescue of Daniele Mastrogiacomo
Daniele Mastrogiacomo, an Italian journalist, was taken hostage by the Taliban, on March 5, 2007. Rahmatullah was called upon to negotiate his release.
Captured on suspicions of collusion with the Taliban
After Mastrogiacomo's release Rahmatullah was taken into custody by Afghan authorities.
Gino Strada, the founder of Emergency, spoke out on Rahmatullah's behalf:
"These insinuations are completely infamous and unfounded. It's the first time in history that when an exchange of prisoners takes place because the two sides decide to trust someone to carry the operation through that that person is then himself arrested. Two people are responsible for this outrage: Hamid Karzai and Romano Prodi ... I would have expected an immediate declaration of Rahmatullah Hanefi's trustworthiness by the Italian government."