Taliban detain three Britons in Afghanistan – government ‘under negotiation’

According to British media and a non-profit organization, three men from Britain are being held by the Islamist Taliban in Afghanistan. They would have had brief contact with their relatives, the broadcaster Sky News and the organization Presidium Network reported on Sunday. Two of them have reportedly been detained by Taliban secret police since January, and a third was arrested at a different time.

When asked about the three men, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said on Sky News that the government was “under negotiation”. A British Foreign Office spokesman said consular contact with British citizens detained in Afghanistan is being worked on.

According to the Presidium Network, two of the Britons are being supported – a 53-year-old doctor and a second man who is supposed to run a hotel in Kabul. The organization’s co-founder Scott Richards said the two are in good health and are being treated well.

The third would be a 23-year-old self-proclaimed “danger tourist”. He had gained social media attention in August 2021 after traveling to Afghanistan despite the Taliban resurgence. At that time, the militant Islamists had regained power in the war-torn country. The young man had to be evacuated with others at the time. Apparently he returned later. (sda/dpa)