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15/04/2004
Italian hostage murdered in Iraq
An Italian civilian contractor, who was being held hostage by an Iraqi resistance group, has been executed, it has been reported today.
Graphic evidence of the murder of 36-year-old Fabrizio Quattrocchi was contained in a videotape sent to the Arabic-language news broadcaster Al Jazeera yesterday. Mr Quattrocchi died after being shot in the back of the neck with a pistol.
The Qatar-based news broadcaster, which was criticised during the Iraq war for airing pictures of dead US servicemen, said that it would not broadcast the tape as it was "too bloody".
Al Jazeera said that it had also been sent a statement accompanying the tape from a group calling itself the Green Brigade.
According to the statement, published on the company's website Aljazeera.net, the group said that it carried out the murder "in order to teach a lesson for those who are involved [in the occupation of Iraq]".
The statement urged Italians to reject the occupation, and concluded with the vow to kill the remaining three Italian hostages "one by one".
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said that the killing of Fabrizio Quattrocchi would not deflect his government's search for peace in Iraq. The Italian foreign minister described the Green Brigade as "bandits".
The Italian defence minister, Antonio Martini, has said that the government – through diplomatic and intelligence efforts – was doing its "very best" to save the remaining hostages.
There are at least 40 other hostages – among them contract workers, journalists and aid workers – being held by armed groups. Mr Quattrocchi was the first hostage to have been executed by Iraqis.
(gmcg)
Graphic evidence of the murder of 36-year-old Fabrizio Quattrocchi was contained in a videotape sent to the Arabic-language news broadcaster Al Jazeera yesterday. Mr Quattrocchi died after being shot in the back of the neck with a pistol.
The Qatar-based news broadcaster, which was criticised during the Iraq war for airing pictures of dead US servicemen, said that it would not broadcast the tape as it was "too bloody".
Al Jazeera said that it had also been sent a statement accompanying the tape from a group calling itself the Green Brigade.
According to the statement, published on the company's website Aljazeera.net, the group said that it carried out the murder "in order to teach a lesson for those who are involved [in the occupation of Iraq]".
The statement urged Italians to reject the occupation, and concluded with the vow to kill the remaining three Italian hostages "one by one".
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said that the killing of Fabrizio Quattrocchi would not deflect his government's search for peace in Iraq. The Italian foreign minister described the Green Brigade as "bandits".
The Italian defence minister, Antonio Martini, has said that the government – through diplomatic and intelligence efforts – was doing its "very best" to save the remaining hostages.
There are at least 40 other hostages – among them contract workers, journalists and aid workers – being held by armed groups. Mr Quattrocchi was the first hostage to have been executed by Iraqis.
(gmcg)
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