Rahmatullah Hanefi

Rahmatullah Hanefi is an Afghan humanitarian worker known for negotiating the release of Italian hostages Gabriele Torsello in 2006 and Daniele Mastrogiacomo in 2007 while employed by the Italian charity Emergency, where he was the national staff manager of a hospital the charity ran. Hanefi is a citizen of Afghanistan.

Rescue of Gabriele Torsello Rahmatullah successfully negotiated the release of Gabriele Torsello, an Italian taken hostage in October 2006.

Rescue of Daniele Mastrogiacomo Daniele Mastrogiacomo, an Italian journalist, was taken hostage by the Taliban, on March 5, 2007. Rahmatullah was called upon to negotiate his release.

Captured on suspicions of collusion with the Taliban After Mastrogiacomo's release, Rahmatullah was taken into custody by Afghan authorities, with a spokesman for the Afghan intelligence service claiming that Rahmatullah had played a part in the capture of Mastrogiacomo by the Taliban. In May 2007, a solidarity rally for Hanefi was held in Rome's Piazza Farnese.