Five British citizens held by the Taliban last December, including former BBC cameraman and Afghan expert Peter Juvenal, were released on Monday after behind-the-scenes diplomacy by the British Foreign Office (FCDO).
Understandably, the five were captured separately, and British sources said nothing was given in exchange for their release, except an apology from them. However, the British government on Sunday issued a statement renouncing the violence in Afghanistan, saying there was no alternative to pragmatic engagement with the current administration.
Juvenal was arrested by the Taliban in Kabul six months ago after traveling to the country to discuss some mining investments and talk to many of his longtime friends in the country.
He is married to an Afghan woman with three children and, according to BBC reporter John Simpson, was one of the world’s best television broadcasters. The two men worked together nearly two decades ago. He is 66 years old and has high blood pressure. He enjoyed little access to the outside world in captivity, was not seen by the International Committee of the Red Cross and was not charged.
The FCDO said it would not release the names of other people who had been released, but confirmed that no other Britons were still in custody.
Foreign Minister Liz Truss tweeted: “I am pleased that the United Kingdom has secured the release of five British citizens detained in Afghanistan. They will soon be reunited with their families. I am grateful for the hard work of British diplomats to ensure this result. “
The FCDO said: “We welcome and appreciate the release from the current Afghan administration of five British citizens who have been detained in Afghanistan.
“These British citizens had no role in the work of the UK government in Afghanistan and traveled to Afghanistan against the advice of the UK government on travel. This was a mistake.
“On behalf of the families of British citizens, we apologize for any violation of Afghan culture, customs or laws and offer their confidence in future good behavior. The UK Government regrets this episode. “
The day before, in a statement that may have been part of diplomatic efforts, Hugo Shorter, the Doha-based Afghanistan Chargé d’Affaires of the United Kingdom, said: “The United Kingdom does not support anyone, including Afghan citizens who aspire to to achieve political change through violence or any other activity that incites political violence in Afghanistan, and will not allow the UK soil to be used for planning or preparation, and we strongly discourage others from doing so.
“Violence of all kinds is not in the interests of Afghanistan or the international community, and we condemn terrorist attacks of all kinds.
“To promote peace and stability, to provide basic humanitarian support to the Afghan people and to address shared security concerns, there is no alternative to engaging pragmatically with the current Afghan administration, and that is what we are doing.
There seemed to be no obvious reason for publishing the statement.
The United Kingdom does not recognize the Taliban and, along with other countries, is struggling to engage with them to protect ordinary people in Afghanistan, and yet shows disgust at the way women have been expelled back home and from secondary education. .
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The foreign ministry recently urged shadow foreign minister David Lamy not to travel to Afghanistan, saying he was at risk and urged him not to speak to the Taliban during his two-day visit.
Lamy never intended to meet with the Taliban and focused his UN-protected visit on the issue of the country’s humanitarian crisis and the plight of women. Lamy has criticized no UK minister since Afghanistan since the US-led expulsion last August led to the collapse of the former government and the triumph of the Taliban.
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