U.S. Journalist Convicted of Torture Released

KABUL, Afghanistan — A U.S. journalist convicted of torturing Afghan detainees in a secret Kabul jail was freed two months before his two-year sentence ended and taken out of the country under heavy U.S. security.

Edward Caraballo, 44, a cameraman from New York, was one of three Americans jailed after Afghan authorities discovered a squalid house in July 2004 containing eight detained Afghans who alleged they had been tortured.

Just before his release, Caraballo said by cellphone that he was overjoyed and would return to the United States to kiss his daughter, hug his family and finish what he says was his real mission in Afghanistan -- to make a documentary on the secret jail.

Caraballo maintains that the American government authorized the jail, which was run by former Special Forces officer Jonathan K. Idema and his right-hand man, Brent Bennett. U.S. authorities have repeatedly denied the claims and said the prison was part of a freelance hunt for terrorists.

“I feel jubilant and happy. I am still worried that something could happen to me as I leave but I am optimistic that I will get home safely,” Caraballo said minutes before his release from jail.