The Afghan government has confirmed it freed the mother of the man suspected of kidnapping an Italian aid worker but denied it was part of any deal.
The mother of suspected kidnapper Timur Shah was released along with three other detainees, the government said.
But it said there was no deal and that five friends or relatives of Mr Shah had been arrested over the abduction. Clementina Cantoni, now back in Rome, has spoken for the first time of her ordeal, saying she was not threatened. Full Story