Edward Caraballo
Encyclopedia
Edward Caraballo is an American
videographer
and investigative photojournalist, specializing in covert photography. He was arrested in Afghanistan
in 2004 while documenting the exploits of a vigilante
group led by U.S. mercenary
Jonathan "Jack" Idema. Caraballo was implicated as an associate of Idema and was charged with entering the country illegally (later dropped), running a private prison, and torture. He was sentenced to an eight-year prison term (later reduced on appeal to two years) and incarcerated in Afghanistan's Pul-e-Charkhi prison
.
Throughout his trial and imprisonment, Caraballo insisted that he was not involved in the alleged torture, and that he was officially embedded in what he believed was a legitimate military operation.
While in prison, Caraballo sought to distance himself from Idema and eventually converted to Islam
. He has said his conversion was initially a survival tactic in prison in order to gain the respect of Afghan inmates.
There was at least one attempt on his life while he was incarcerated and that he was almost lynched during a prison riot started by other inmates with suspected links to the Taliban and al Qaeda. Caraballo used a satellite phone to call CNN
journalist Anderson Cooper
as the riot was occurring to say his life was in danger. One prison official, claiming that Caraballo was "never in danger" during the riot despite threats made against him, questioned why he refused to accept offers of protection and emerge from his cell. However, Caraballo has emphatically stated that he refused to leave the relative security of his cell because of the chaotic and dangerous situation still happening inside cellblock. Still, Caraballo managed to make peace with one of the prisoners whom he said had tried to seize the prison and helped teach a few inmates and guards some English
.
In April 2006, Afghan President Hamid Karzai
granted Caraballo a presidential pardon, two months before his sentence was scheduled to end. Caraballo has since returned to the United States.
, CBS News
, CNN and National Geographic. In 1992 and 1993, while working for WWOR-TV
's "I-team" with reporter Joe Collum and producer Gary Scurka, Carballo won four local Emmy awards: the "Outstanding Editing" award at the 35th Annual New York Emmy Awards and three awards at the 36th Annual New York Emmy Awards one for "Outstanding Single News Feature" (as a producer for a piece entitled "HOT SPOTS (PT.1)" on the Channel 9 News, November 21, 1991), one for "Outstanding Issues Programming"(as a producer for a documentary called "Crime Chronicles," and one for "Outstanding Editing". He is currently working on a documentary film and book about his experiences there.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
videographer
Videographer
Strictly speaking, a videographer is a person who works in the field of videography, video production — recording moving images and sound on video tape, disk, other electro-mechanical device. News broadcasting relies heavily on live television where videographers engage in electronic news...
and investigative photojournalist, specializing in covert photography. He was arrested in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in 2004 while documenting the exploits of a vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
group led by U.S. mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
Jonathan "Jack" Idema. Caraballo was implicated as an associate of Idema and was charged with entering the country illegally (later dropped), running a private prison, and torture. He was sentenced to an eight-year prison term (later reduced on appeal to two years) and incarcerated in Afghanistan's Pul-e-Charkhi prison
Pul-e-Charkhi prison
Pul-e-Charkhi , also known as Afghan National Detention Facility, is the largest prison in Afghanistan east of Kabul. Construction of the jail began in the 1970s by order of former president Mohammed Daoud Khan and was completed during the 1980s...
.
Throughout his trial and imprisonment, Caraballo insisted that he was not involved in the alleged torture, and that he was officially embedded in what he believed was a legitimate military operation.
While in prison, Caraballo sought to distance himself from Idema and eventually converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He has said his conversion was initially a survival tactic in prison in order to gain the respect of Afghan inmates.
There was at least one attempt on his life while he was incarcerated and that he was almost lynched during a prison riot started by other inmates with suspected links to the Taliban and al Qaeda. Caraballo used a satellite phone to call CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
journalist Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
as the riot was occurring to say his life was in danger. One prison official, claiming that Caraballo was "never in danger" during the riot despite threats made against him, questioned why he refused to accept offers of protection and emerge from his cell. However, Caraballo has emphatically stated that he refused to leave the relative security of his cell because of the chaotic and dangerous situation still happening inside cellblock. Still, Caraballo managed to make peace with one of the prisoners whom he said had tried to seize the prison and helped teach a few inmates and guards some English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
In April 2006, Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
granted Caraballo a presidential pardon, two months before his sentence was scheduled to end. Caraballo has since returned to the United States.
Career
Caraballo has worked for most of the major broadcast news outlets in the U.S., including, ABC NewsABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, CNN and National Geographic. In 1992 and 1993, while working for WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
's "I-team" with reporter Joe Collum and producer Gary Scurka, Carballo won four local Emmy awards: the "Outstanding Editing" award at the 35th Annual New York Emmy Awards and three awards at the 36th Annual New York Emmy Awards one for "Outstanding Single News Feature" (as a producer for a piece entitled "HOT SPOTS (PT.1)" on the Channel 9 News, November 21, 1991), one for "Outstanding Issues Programming"(as a producer for a documentary called "Crime Chronicles," and one for "Outstanding Editing". He is currently working on a documentary film and book about his experiences there.