Kidnapped Norway journalist in Afghanistan freed

A 46-year-old seasoned war reporter, Paal Refsdal was kidnapped with his interpreter on November 4 near the Pakistan border.

A Norwegian journalist and his Afghan interpreter who were kidnapped last week in eastern Afghanistan have been released, Afghan and Norwegian officials said Thursday.

No ransom had been paid to secure the release, they said.

- The two are now staying at a safe place - Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told reporters at an Oslo press conference.

- They are doing well, considering the circumstances - he said.

A 46-year-old seasoned war reporter, Paal Refsdal was kidnapped with his interpreter on November 4 near the Pakistan border.

Norway's government had asked media outlets to refrain from reporting on the incident for security reasons.

The head of Norwegian diplomacy insisted his government had not paid a 500,000 dollar ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

- I want to make it clear that the Norwegian authorities did not give into the ransom demand made by the kidnappers - Stoere said, adding no military operation was used to free the hostages.

- We are under the impression that the kidnapping was not politically motivated. No political demands were   made - he also said.

Stoere attributed the release to a network of contacts the Norwegians had in Afghanistan.

Khalilullah Zeyaee, the police chief in Kunar province, said tribal elders secured the pair's release late Wednesday and that no ransom had been paid.

The announcement of the release came a day after Stoere held talks with President Hamid Karzai during a surprise visit to Afghanistan.

Norway's foreign ministry said Stoere's visit was not related to the journalist's release.

Refsdal was working as a freelancer for a Norwegian television production company, making a documentary about the daily lives of the Afghan people in their war-torn country.

His interpreter's identity was not revealed.

Norway has 500 troops stationed in Afghanistan, primarily in the north of the country.

Taliban insurgents who were ousted from power by a US-led offensive in late 2001 have in the past used kidnapping as a tool for ransom as well as a bargaining chip to secure the release of jailed comrades from Afghan prisons.