Taliban release several British citizens held in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban have released several British citizens who were detained in Afghanistan after an agreement was reached between the two countries, Taliban and U.K. officials said Monday.
The detainees were released Sunday following a series of meetings between Afghan and British officials, said Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban government, in a statement.
“A number of British nationals were released, who were arrested about six months ago for violating the laws and traditions of the Afghan people,” he said.
Mujahid didn't say what laws the U.K. citizens had broken or elaborate on why they had been detained. The statement said all of them pledged to respect the laws of Afghanistan, the traditions and culture of the Afghan people and not to violate them again.
The identities of the released British citizens were not released by either government and it wasn't yet known if former BBC cameraman Peter Jouvenal was among them.
A statement from the British government in February had said there were a number of British nationals in Taliban custody. Although the government refused to release their identities, Hassina Syed, Jouvenal's wife, told The Associated Press that the former freelance cameraman turned businessman was taken on Dec. 13.
“We welcome and appreciate the release by the current administration of Afghanistan of five British nationals who were detained in Afghanistan,” said a statement Monday from Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
There was no report on the fate of an American citizen who was also detained by the Taliban. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” earlier this year that Washington was “actively working” to get the American released from Taliban custody. He refused to...