The Netherlands will not pay a ransom for the Dutch aid worker kidnapped by armed gunmen in northern Afghanistan on Monday out of principle, foreign minister Uri Rosenthal stressed on Monday evening.

‘The victims of kidnappings are not goods to be traded,’ Rosenthal told RTL news.
It is not yet clear what the motive for the kidnapping is, nor has any demand been made by the kidnappers, according to news agency ANP.
Silence
The Dutch authorities are refusing to give any details about the man or say which charity he was working for.
But according to the New York Times, the man works for Streams, an organisation that helps disabled people in Takhar which is about to close because it lacked funds.
According to the Volkskrant, there are very few Dutch aid workers in Afghanistan and most charities use local staff to carry out projects. Those who are in the country have to follow strict security protocols, Marinke Ros of Save the Children told the paper.
Ransom

In 2008 a Dutch journalist was kidnapped for six days after trying to interview a local Taliban chief. She was freed after a ransom was paid the paper says.
In 2004, the government became embroiled in a lengthy legal conflict with charity Médecins sans Frontières after a €1m ransom was paid to free aid worker Arjan Erkel after 607 days in captivity in Dagestan.
The charity paid 25% of the total and the government the rest. Both sides then demanded repayment from the other.