Pierre Piccinin da Prata has given a sensational interview to Belgium’s RTL-TVI radio station where he stressed it was his “moral duty” to say that Bashar Assad’s government did not stand behind the use of sarin or any other gas on the outskirts of Damascus.
The Belgian national said he had learnt as much from what he overheard in an exchange between his captors.
Pierre Piccinin da Prata and Italian journalist Domenico Quirico were flown to Rome today, after spending five months in rebel hostage.
Quirico, a veteran reporter for La Stampa daily with long experience reporting on conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, entered Syria on April 6 but disappeared four days later.
He spoke briefly by phone to his wife in June confirming he had been kidnapped but said he was in good health.
"We never lost hope and all the efforts made over the past months have been crowned with success," Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta said in a statement confirming both men had been released and were on their way to Italy.
There was no immediate word on who was responsible for kidnapping the two men, who were reported to have been travelling together when they were taken.
Their release comes amid growing international tensions over the civil war in Syria, which has cost an estimated 100,000 lives. President Bashar al-Assad is accused by many western countries of using chemical weapons, and the United States and France are considering military action in response.
- Italy has condemned the government in Damascus, which denies using the banned weapons, but has refused to join military action without a clear mandate from the United Nations.
Four other Italian journalists were kidnapped in Syria in April but were released after little more than a week.
Voice of Russia, TASS, Reuters
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_09_09/Freed-Belgian-hostage-says-Assad-gov-t-didn-t-gas-civilians-3661/
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VIDEO: L'enseignant belge Pierre Piccinin da Prata, kidnappé en Syrie au mois d'avril et libéré ce dimanche (en même temps que son confrère Domenico Quirico, journaliste italien), a accordé une interview à RTL-TVI ce lundi matin. Il a indiqué que le gaz sarin n'avait pas été utilisé par le régime de Bachar Al-Assad.
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Syrie : le Belge libéré assure qu'Al-Assad n'est pas responsable de l'attaque chimique...
ReplyDeleteLe témoignage de cet homme de 40 ans, enseignant en Belgique et personnalité controversée, est accueilli avec prudence par le gouvernement belge.
Pierre Piccinin a été enlevé en Syrie au mois d'avril, et libéré dimanche 8 septembre avec le journaliste italien Domenico Quirico. Selon ce professeur d'histoire belge, qui a effectué de nombreux voyages en Syrie depuis le début du conflit, le gaz sarin n'a pas été utilisé par le régime de Bachar Al-Assad, lors de l'attaque du 21 août qui a fait au moins 1 300 morts. Une déclaration accueillie avec prudence par le chef de la diplomatie belge, Didier Reynders.
"C'est un devoir moral de le dire. Ce n'est pas le gouvernement de Bachar Al-Assad qui a utilisé le gaz sarin ou autre gaz de combat dans la banlieue de Damas. Nous en sommes certains suite à une conversation que nous avons surprise", a-t-il dit sur la télévision belge RTL-TVI. Pierre Piccinin n'a pas donné de détails sur les circonstances ou les auteurs de cette conversation qu'il dit avoir entendue.
Une personnalité trouble
Enseignant dans un lycée de Philippeville (sud de la Belgique), Pierre Piccinin était un habitué des voyages dans le monde arabe. Au moment de son enlèvement, il effectuait son septième séjour en Syrie depuis le début des troubles en 2011. Il avait défendu, dans un premier temps, des thèses proches de celles du régime de Bachar Al-Assad. Mais après avoir été enlevé et torturé aux côtés de rebelles pendant six jours, en mai 2012, il avait pris la défense du soulèvement populaire contre le régime baasiste.
Dans un portrait très négatif que lui a consacré Le Monde (article abonnés) en juin 2012, Pierre Piccinin était qualifié de "touriste de la guerre". "Passionné par le monde arabe, dont il n'a jamais jugé utile d'apprendre la langue", cet homme de 40 ans est "obsédé par les théories du complot", selon le journal. Ses déclarations récentes sur l'attaque chimique en Syrie sont donc commentées avec prudence par le pouvoir belge. "Les propos de M. Piccinin n'engagent que lui-même", souligne le gouvernement.....http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/revolte-en-syrie/syrie-le-belge-libere-assure-qu-al-assad-n-est-pas-responsable-de-l-attaque-chimique_407449.html#xtor=RSS-3-[lestitres]
10/9/13
Chemical attack was rebel provocation, former captives say...
ReplyDeleteBelgian teacher Pierre Piccinin and Italian journalist Domenico Quiric, both of whom were abducted and held hostage for several months in Syria, said they overheard in an exchange between their captors that rebels were behind the recent chemical attack.
In a number of interviews to European news outlets, the former hostages said they overheard an English-language Skype conversation between their captors and other men which suggested it was rebel forces – not the government - that used chemical weapons on Syria’s civilian population in an August 21 attack near Damascus.
“It is a moral duty to say this. The government of Bashar al-Assad did not use sarin gas or other types of gas in the outskirts of Damascus,” Piccinin said during an interview with Belgium's RTL radio station.
Piccinin stressed that while being held captive, he and fellow prisoner Quirico were secluded from the outside world and had no idea that chemical weapons were deployed. But the conversation which both men overheard suggested that the use of the weapons was a strategic move by the opposition, aimed at getting the West to intervene.
"In this conversation, they said that the gas attack on two neighborhoods of Damascus was launched by the rebels as a provocation to lead the West to intervene militarily,” Quirico told Italy’s La Stampa. "We were unaware of everything that was going on during our detention in Syria, and therefore also with the gas attack in Damascus."
While stating that the rebels most likely exaggerated the accident’s death toll, the Italian journalist stressed that he could not vouch whether “the conversation was based on real facts." However, he said that one of the three people in the alleged conversation identified himself as a Free Syrian Army general, La Stampa reported.
Based on what both men have learned, Peccinin told RTL that it would be “insane and suicidal for the West to support these people.”
“It pains me to say it because I've been a fierce supporter of the Free Syrian Army in its rightful fight for democracy since 2012," Piccinin added. .....http://rt.com/news/chemical-weapons-rebels-captives-632/
10/9/13