Enzo Baldoni

Baldoni was born in Città di Castello, Umbria. He had arrived in Baghdad a few weeks before his kidnapping and death, and also served there as a Red Cross volunteer. He was married with two children.

Baldoni had started his career in diverse jobs including working as a mason (in Belgium), a gymnastics professor, photographer, interpreter and laboratory technician. He then moved into advertising, working for the advertising agency Le balene colpiscono ancora ("The whales strike again"). Finally, he became a freelance journalist. He was also a translator, and was responsible for the Italian translation of Doonesbury comic strips.

He was kidnapped near Najaf, Iraq, 19 August 2004 by the "Islamic Army in Iraq", a Muslim fundamentalist terrorist organization, allegedly linked with Al-Qaeda. His driver-interpreter was killed during the abduction. The Islamic Army released a videotape, aired on August 24 by Al Jazeera, in which it threatened to kill Baldoni unless Italian troops were withdrawn from Iraq within 48 hours. On August 26, Al Jazeera came into possession of a videotape depicting Baldoni's murder. This videotape was not aired because of its gruesome nature. The existence of this tape is based on claims made by Al Jazeera only. Other sources claim it is only a video frame or a still shot taken with a digital camera.

• Diario
• Press freedom groups condemn killing - IFEX