One of two young aid workers
kidnapped and held for months in Syria by Islamic extremists
said Monday she has no plans to return there, even as reports
swirled to the contrary.
In fact, Italy's foreign ministry repeated a warning that
Italian citizens should not to travel to the war-torn country.
That was in part triggered by reports that one of the two
former hostages, Vanessa Marzullo, had said she and her fellow
captive Greta Ramelli planned to return to Syria.
But Ramelli told ANSA that she had "no intention of
returning to Syria".
She said that she planned instead to "intensify my
voluntary activities in Italy".
Rumours have suggested that the Italian government paid a
ransom for the release of Ramelli and Marzullo, who were freed
in mid-January after almost six months in captivity.
The two young women had arrived in Syria July 28 to
volunteer on health and water-related humanitarian aid projects,
and were abducted just three days later.
They have said they were held in various prisons in
northern Syria.
Their jailers always covered their faces, but never
threatened to kill them.
The conditions of their captivity were tough but bearable,
and the women said they were not abused or subjected to
violence.
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