Five British nationals detained in Afghanistan have been released, the British Foreign Office said on Monday (June 20th), stressing that they had made a "
mistake
" by traveling to the country against travel recommendations.
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"
We appreciate the release by the current administration of Afghanistan of five British nationals who were detained
," said a ministry spokesperson, without specifying when and under what circumstances these five people had been detained.
“
These Britons had no role in the UK government's work in Afghanistan and traveled to Afghanistan contrary to government travel recommendations.
It was a mistake
,” he said.
The United Kingdom said it "
regrets this episode
" and offered, on behalf of the families of the detainees, an "
apology
" for "
any violation of Afghan culture, customs or laws
".
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also said she was "
satisfied
" that the UK had secured their release.
In February, London highlighted the case of “
several
” Britons detained in Afghanistan and “
discussed
” their situation with the Taliban, without specifying their number or who was holding them.
Among them was Peter Jouvenal, a former journalist turned businessman, with dual German and British nationality and detained since early December.
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Islamic fundamentalists Taliban have arrested some voices critical of their regime and beaten or arrested several journalists.