Elizabeth Smart pleads for a re-examination of the release of a kidnapper

Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted when she was 14 years old and sexually assaulted for nine months before being rescued, on Thursday urged the authorities not to release one of her captors, 72-year-old Wanda Barzee.

The pardon and parole board of Utah announced Tuesday that Barzee would be released next Wednesday, a decision made by Smart at a press conference in the afternoon.

She reiterated that Barzee, a mother of six, was there when her husband, the street pastor Brian David Mitchell, raped the teenage victim daily.

Mitchell, who took Smart at the tip of the knife, serves life behind bars.

"I believe it's a threat," Smart said. Later, she added, "For me, I know the depth of her depravity."

Scott Williams, Barzee's attorney, told NBC's affiliate, KSL, that his client would be released on terms including supervision. NBC News reacted to Smart's remarks but did not receive an immediate response.

Barzee was sentenced in 2010 to 15 years in federal prison for her role in the 2002 Smart kidnapping in her Salt Lake City chamber. In 2016, she was released but had to face one to fifteen years in prison for a separate attempt to kidnap Smart's cousin.

The commission said this week that after a recent legal review of Barzee's time behind bars, she discovered that six of the years spent in federal jail needed to be accounted for in the state's conviction, which made her eligible for release.

Last Thursday, the director of administrative services of the board of directors, Greg Johnson, said by email that he had no choice.

"This is not an early release or discretionary release," he said. "Ms. Barzee can not be legally detained in Utah State Prison beyond her sentence."

Smart said that as a Christian, she had forgiven Barzee years ago, but that does not mean that she would "let her come back into my life."

"I would like to urge the powers in place and anyone working under their leadership to strongly reconsider this situation," Smart said. "Wanda Barzee saw me as her slave … She did some awful things while I was in captivity.

"I think people should realize that it's dangerous."