In Afghanistan, the fate of three Britons worries. They are indeed detained by the Taliban, announced Saturday evening a British NGO, The Presidium Network, specifying “to work closely” with two of the families.
“We are trying to establish consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting the families,” said the British Foreign Office.
“They are treated well”, according to The Presidium Network
Scott Richards, a member of The Presidium Network, told Sky News: “To our knowledge we believe they are in good health and well cared for. “We have no reason to believe that they have been subjected to any ill-treatment such as torture and we are told that they are doing as well as can be expected under such circumstances,” he said. -He specifies. On the other hand, there was “no significant contact” between the authorities and the two men whom Presidium assists, added Scott Richards.
Two of the men have been held by the Taliban since January. It is not known how long the third man has been detained. They would be Kevin Cornwell, 53, a doctor for a charity organization, an unnamed hotel manager for aid workers and Miles Routledge, a YouTube celebrity, according to media reports. On Twitter, The Presidium Network urged the Taliban to be “mindful of what we believe to be a misunderstanding and release these men”.
Last year the Taliban released TV journalist Peter Jouvenal and four other British nationals who they had held for six months. The cameraman was among “a number” of Britons detained by radical Islamists, London said in February. The British Foreign Office claimed that the five people “had no role to play in British government activities in Afghanistan and that they had traveled to that country despite the British government’s travel advice”.
The Taliban in power since August 2021
At the time, Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused the British of “carrying out activities contrary to the laws of the country and the traditions of the Afghan people”. “After several meetings between the EIA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) and Great Britain, these people were released… and handed over to their country of origin,” he said. “They promised to respect the laws of Afghanistan, its traditions and the culture of its people and not to violate them again. »
The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and have since drawn international outrage over their policies, particularly towards women and girls.