Italian journalist and Belgian teacher freed after five months in captivity

Reporters Without Borders is relieved to learn that Italian journalist Domenico Quirico, a reporter for the Turin daily La Stampa, and Belgian teacher Pierre Piccinin da Pra were released yesterday after being held by Syrian rebels for five months. Quirico and Piccinin were kidnapped at Qussayr, near the Lebanese border, on 6 April.

In a report today in the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Piccinin describes the hardships they endured while held by the rebels. After being kidnapped by the Abou Ammar brigade, they were handed over to another rebel group, the Al-Farouq brigade.

A total of 13 foreign media personnel are still being held or are missing in Syria. They include French journalists Didier François and Edouard Elias and American journalists James Foley and Austin Tice.