The National institution of Social Care & Vocational Training (Beit Afar Assumoud),

in the name of its families and staff expresses its deepest regret and refusal for the kidnapping of our Italian friends in Iraq Simona Torretta and Simona Pari, who are working in Iraq as volunteers for strictly humanitarian reasons in full solidarity with the Iraqi People.

Torretta & Pari are members of the Italian NGO “UN Ponte Per Baghdad” (A Bridge to Baghdad).., who has been active within the Italian peace movement and bravely challenged the USA sanctions imposed on Iraq and stayed close with the Iraqis releasing their sufferings and endangering their lives during the USA invasion. Torretta herself have been working in Iraq since 1997 defying the political stand of her own government.

As Palestinians living in Lebanon, we had close connections with our Italian friends who also created A Bridge to Shatilla project in solidarity with our People.

We raise our voices in protest and refusal for such un-accepted actions against our peace loving friends who are struggling actively and seizing every opportunity to protest against the injustice and military intervention imposed on both the Iraqi and Palestinian People.

We ask all peace activists seeking justice in the Arab World to protest against unjust actions against innocent people which is jeopardizing our cause, and ask for the immediate release of our Italian friends and their Iraqi co-workers and for the end of the occupation in Iraq and Palestine.

We extend our deepest sympathy and apology for the families of Torretta & Pari and hope to see them free very soon.