A German aid worker abducted in Kabul yesterday appeared on Afghan television to ask for help in obtaining her freedom. Christina Meier, who said she works for the NGO Ora International, spoke in English and read a statement in Dari (via Reuters):

"I am fine ... I ask my country to urgently help and cooperate for my release," she said in a video aired by private television station Tolo, while displaying an identity card that read Christina Barbara Meier.

The woman, apparently in a small room, introduced herself in English and said she was an employee of "ORA International" aid agency. A man who was not seen in the tape asked her questions in broken English.

A bespectacled young man who had covered his face appeared on the video to say the abductors were not Taliban, adding they belonged to a "special network".

He demanded the release of the group's men held by President Hamid Karzai's government. He did not give any figure or names, adding details would be passed to the government through special channels.

Meier and her husband have worked in Kabul for Ora International since December 2006. She was kidnapped Saturday from a Kabul pizzeria by 4 armed gunmen. Afghan police say they do not think the Taliban is behind this abduction, but do not know who may be.

UPDATE: Thank God: Kidnapped German 'freed in Kabul'

UPDATE II: Officials: Afghan Police Free German Hostage

As pointed out by several astute readers in the comments, Christina was not "freed" by her captors, but RESCUED by the Afghan police, who also arrested her abductors. Thank you to the Jawa readers for pointing out this bit of bias on the part of the BBC, from whom my previous report was taken.

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More Kidnappings Reported in Afghanistan

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