Pål Refsdal (born 9 September 1963) is a Norwegian freelance journalist, photographer and filmmaker who has reported from many war zones. He has followed and worked with several rebel groups. In 2009, he was embedded with Taliban in Afghanistan where he was taken captive and held for a week before he was released. He has also worked for Norwegian People's Aid and as press officer for the Norwegian military. Early life and education Refsdal was born in Kongsvinger to a father from Hedmark who is a doctor and a German mother who is a physiotherapist. He has three sisters. The family lived in Sweden for five years and later moved to Ulsrud in Oslo, where Refsdal spent most of his adolescence. He finished the Norwegian Army Officer School in 1983, aged 19 with the rank of Second Lieutenant. 1980s In 1985, he followed the Mujahideens in Afghanistan and took part in attacks against Soviet forces in the Soviet-Afghan war. He there also met the British writer Jason Elliot who would later describe their encounter in the 1999 book An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan. In 1986, he worked with Tamil separatists. In the 1980s, Refsdal reported from several guerrilla groups in Latin-America, including the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity and the Shining Path in Peru. He collaborated with the Kosovo Liberation Army (—UÇK) in 1999, and spent 3 months in the hospital after having been hit during an attack by the Yugoslav People's Army. Norway's foreign minister at the time Knut Vollebæk met with the Yugoslavian foreign minister to help get Refsdal out of the area. After coming back to Norway, Refsdal returned to Kosovo some months later. Angola case In 1995 he worked for six months with mine clearing operations in Angola for Norwegian People's Aid. He subsequently accused the organisation of having employees who were involved in drugs and sexual abuse. His wife, who visited Angola in the summer of 1996, stated that a young girl in Angola accused a leader in the Norwegian People's Aid of having engaged in sexual activities with her. The prosecutor in Oslo did not find reason to investigate the case. Refsdal went back to Angola to collect evidence of misconduct according for himself. The Norwegian People's Aid then reported him to the authorities for allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to kill three employees in the organisation. Refsdal was investigated in Norway and