Afghanistan: Abducted ICRC staff member released

Geneva (ICRC) – an ICRC staff member who was abducted on 19 December 2016 in Kunduz province, has been released and is now with the ICRC team in Kunduz.

The ICRC would like to thank the authorities and the communities who have mobilized and played a role in facilitating our colleague's release.

The staff member was abducted while travelling from the ICRC office in Kunduz to the Sub-delegation in Mazar-i-Sharif. While three other colleagues were left unharmed, he was taken and held for almost 4 weeks.

"We are relieved and grateful that Juan Carlos is now back with us, safe and sound," said the ICRC head of delegation in Afghanistan, Monica Zanarelli. "His abduction was a terrible ordeal for him, as well as for his family, friends and colleagues."

"Our priority now is Juan Carlos' well-being and getting him home to his family. We would ask everyone to respect his, and his family's, privacy at this time."

The ICRC will not comment on the identity of the abductors, their motives or the details of the release.

Present in Afghanistan for 30 years, the ICRC provides medical care, supports water and sanitation services, visits places of detention and acts as a neutral intermediary to enable humanitarian work to take place throughout the country.

For further information, please contact:
Thomas Glass, ICRC Kabul (English), tel: +93 (0) 729 140 510
Ramin Ayaz Ahmad, ICRC Kabul (Dari and Pashto), tel: +93 (0) 794 618 908
Anastasia Isyuk, ICRC Geneva (English), tel: +41 79 251 9302
Elodie Schindler, ICRC Geneva (English and Spanish), tel: +41 22 730 3443