BERLIN - A German archeologist and former hostage in Iraq has denied reports that she worked for the German secret services but said she warned the countryâs embassy in Baghdad of dangers on the ground. âIf I were a spy I would no longer be alive, my kidnappers would have killed me,â Osthoff said in an interview for ARD public television recorded on Saturday that was due to be broadcast on Monday evening.
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Osthoff, 43, said she sometimes contacted German diplomats in Baghdad when she learnt about dangerous situations in Iraq, where she lived and worked for 10 years as an archeologist and aid worker. âThis is everybodyâs duty. In a conflict and war zone like Iraq, one must do this among fellow countrymen,â Osthoff said.
She said in the interview, one of the rare times she has spoken to the media since her release, that she had feared that she would be killed by her captors and still believed she was at risk. âMy life was in danger. The circumstances were uncontrollable. I still have visions of death,â she said, adding that she âchanged places and countries every two days.â
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