Syria abductors release Italian and Belgian

Italian journalist Domenico Quirico and Belgian teacher Pierre Piccinin da Prata, who were kidnapped in Syria in April, have been freed, say officials.

The men were flown to Rome, where they were met by Italy's foreign minister.

Mr Quirico, 62, a reporter for the Turin-based daily La Stampa, entered Syria from Lebanon on 6 April saying he would be out of touch for a week.

The men were reportedly together when they were taken - it is not clear who was responsible for kidnapping.

Mr Quirico had spoken by phone to his wife in June confirming he had been kidnapped but said he was in good health.

'' It ' a moral duty to tell. It is not the government of Bashar al-Assad to have used sarin gas or any other gas on the outskirts of Damascus .'' So Pierre Piccinin the radio RTL- TVi , saying that he had caught a conversation between rebels in connection with Domenico Quirico .

Piccinin Quirico and there are certain '' '' '' because I have heard in a conversation that we surprised '' between the rebels , said the teacher Belgium. Piccinin adds that '' it costs me to admit it because I firmly by May 2012 the Free Syrian Army in their just struggle for democracy .'' '' '' For the moment , though, '' as a matter of ethics Domenico and I are determined not to go out ( the details of ) this information ,'' said Piccinin referring to the interrogation of Quirico held today and to his newspaper . '' When the ' Print ' considers that the time has come to give details on this information , I will anch'o in Belgium ,'' said the teacher Belgium. Piccinin tells them that when on August 30, he and the journalist of ' La Stampa ' have heard of the intention of the U.S. to act through use, attributed to the regime of chemical weapons '' we head into flames '' , '' because we were prisoners there, stuck with this information and for us it was impossible to give .''

Tomorrow will be ' interrogated by investigators and reached the capital by his daughters and his wife . ' I tried to tell the Syrian revolution , but it may be that this revolution has betrayed me . It is no longer the secular revolution of Aleppo, has become another thing , 'he concluded .