Speaker Profiles — Amanda Lindhout

Alberta journalist Amanda Lindhout, who was freed last year after being kidnapped in Somalia, told CBC News in a one-on-one interview that she has forgiven her captors.

Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan were freed last November, 15 months after gunmen in Somalia snatched them in August 2008. A ransom was reportedly paid to secure their release.

Lindhout said she was kept alone in rooms with no light and little food in houses throughout Somalia and held for ransom under “extremely oppressive” conditions that included torture and beatings.

At the time, Lindhout said her and Brennan’s kidnappers were criminals posing as freedom fighters.

In an interview, Lindhout told the CBC’s Curt Petrovich she had a choice to make when she came out of captivity.

“You can very easily go into anger and bitterness and revenge thoughts and resentment and ‘Why me?'” said Lindhout.