Daniele Mastrogiacomo, 52, thought he would be killed
Daniele's ordeal
Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who works for the La Repubblica daily, was seized two weeks ago in southern Helmand province.
Mr Mastrogiacomo was said to be in good health in hospital. His driver's body has yet to be handed over, while his translator has still not been freed.
The men were kept in chains and moved 15 times while in captivity, he said.
'Horrific'
Mr Mastrogiacomo was abducted while trying to interview senior Taleban officials.
I saw him be decapitated... Then they wiped the knife on his clothes
Daniele Mastrogiacomo
"I'm very happy, I thank you all. I knew you wouldn't abandon me, and that gave me strength and courage," he said on Monday via La Repubblica's online television station.
He said his Afghan driver had been decapitated in front of him by their Taleban guards.
"I saw him being decapitated, it was horrific," he told Italian TG3 television.
"I was shaking. Obviously I thought 'it's my turn now."
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said the release had not been "simple" and that more details would be released later.
Italian officials say the journalist will arrive in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Tuesday and then fly home to Italy.
Fears
Fears for Mr Mastrogiacomo's safety grew last week when reports first emerged that his Afghan driver, a father of four, had been killed.
Shortly afterwards, a tape was released in which the journalist said he had just two days to live.
Contacts to negotiate his freedom intensified, culminating in his handover to Italian representatives on Monday.
One Taleban leader, military commander Mullah Dadullah, told Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location that Mr Mastrogiacomo had been freed after Afghan authorities released five senior Taliban officials, including his own brother.
There has been no official confirmation of this.
Helmand Province within Afganistan
Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo was released by his Taliban captors in Afghanistan, Monday, after having been kidnapped and held hostage since March 5, 2007. Mastrogiacomo's intrepreter is believed to have been released as well, though no details are reported.

Mastrogiacomo, a reporter with Italian newspaper '''', was taken captive in Helmand Province along with his Afghan interpreter and his driver, while attempting to obtain interviews with members of the Taliban.

In a television interview after his release, Mastrogiacomo expressed his gratitude to those that worked for his release. "I'm very happy, I thank you all. I knew you wouldn't abandon me", said Mastrogiacomo.

He also described some horrors that he witnessed while in captivity. Syed Agha had been killed in front of him by their captors. "I saw him being decapitated, it was horrific", Mastrogiacomo recalled.

The driver, Syed Agha was reportedly decapitated by his captors for "spying" in the presence of Mastrogiacomo. Agha's family blockaded the hospital in Lashkar Gah where Mastrogiacomo was being treated, demanding to know what happened to Agha. For reasons still unclear, security forces arrested the head of that hospital, Rahamatullah Hanafi.

Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah told  that the release of Mastrogiacomo and his interpreter was secured through the exchange of five senior Taliban members.

 Romano Prodi suggested it was not a simple task to secure Mastrogiacomo's release, which was obtained with the help of Italian authorities, humanitarian officials and the Afghan government.

According to Italian officials, Mastrogiacomo is to travel to  on Tuesday and then secure a flight to Italy.



'''This story has ''new developments''.'''

''Updated information can be found here''