An Italian journalist who was held hostage by the Taleban for two weeks described how he was forced to watch as his captors beheaded his Afghan driver.

Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who was released yesterday, told how he feared that he would also be killed after seeing the brutal execution.

“I can still see it now," he wrote in La Repubblica. “The [Taleban] commander issued his death sentence in the name of Islam. He said we were all spies and we had to die. [The translator] is crying. I don’t understand. I ask him what they said and he, in tears, says ’they are going to kill us’.

“I get off my knees. Four young men grab the driver and shove his face into the sand. They cut his throat and continue until they have cut his whole head.

“He is not able to make a gasp. They clean the knife on his tunic. They tie his severed head to his body. They bring it [the body and head] to the river and let it go,” he wrote.

The Taleban captured Mr Mastrogiacomo, whom they accused of spying, in the southern province of Helmand on March 4, along with an Afghan translator and driver.

The Taleban said that he was freed in exchange for up to five insurgent leaders. His translator is still being held.

Angry relatives of the driver gathered outside the Italian-run hospital in Lashkar Gah, where Mr Mastrogiacomo was recovering overnight, in protest at the news of the swap.

"The government is making sacrifice for foreigners, but not for an Afghan," Delbar Jan, an uncle told AFP news agency.

Mr Mastrogiacomo, giving an interview to state-run Italian television station RAl, told how the hostages were shackled and forced to walk miles through the baking desert to 15 different prisons. He said they were kept in cells "as small as sheep pens".

He said that he was hit on his back and head with an AK47 and his captors threatened to kill him.

“The Taliban started saying, ’in the name of Islam, we sentence you to death', " Mr Mastrogiacomo said. "I was shaking. Obviously I thought ’it’s my turn now.' "

Mr Mastrogiacomo was due to arrive in Kabul later today, where he will leave for Italy shortly afterwards, Afghan officials said.

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