Kidnapped Canadian, Australian journalists freed in Somalia
MOSCOW. November 26. KAZINFORM Two journalists from Canada and Australia have been released after 15 months of captivity in war-torn Somalia, international media reported on Thursday, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
Nigel Brennan, an Australian photojournalist, and Canadian freelance reporter Amanda Lindhout were abducted by Somali militants on the outskirts of the country's capital, Mogadishu, on August 23, 2008, just three days after arriving in the country.
They were freed on Wednesday night, after being held captive for 459 days.
Lindhout told Canadian television she was isolated, beaten and tortured during her captivity.
"It was extremely oppressive. I was kept by myself at all times. I had no one to speak to. I was normally kept in a room with a light, no window. I had nothing to write on or with. There was very little food. I was allowed to use the toilet exactly five times a day," the released journalist was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying in an interview with CTV.
The war-ravaged country has been without an effective government since 1991, Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.