Taliban confirms arrest of US citizens

The Taliban confirms the arrest of a number of American citizens. The spokesman explains that these violate Afghan laws. The Taliban's confirmation of such arrests is unusual.

The Taliban, which rules Afghanistan, confirmed the arrest of American citizens. Taliban spokesman Sabiullah Mujahid said in a video clip published by Afghan channel Tolonews on Sunday that they were being held on charges of “violating Afghan laws.” Mujahid mentioned two imprisoned Americans. The confirmation of such court cases is unusual. Mujahid also reported that there were discussions with the American government regarding the detainees.

The exact number of foreigners detained in Afghanistan is unknown. An Austrian right-wing extremist was only released at the end of last February, after nine months in prison. The man had previously announced a vacation in Afghanistan in a far-right newspaper. The Taliban arrested him on charges of espionage.

An American has been detained since 2022

Among the detained American citizens is Ryan Corbett, who was arrested in the summer of 2022, about a year after the Taliban came to power. Just a few days ago, Corbett's wife publicly expressed concerns about his health, CBS reported. Accordingly, she was said to have received a “disturbing” call.

The Taliban seized power again in August 2021 after nearly 20 years of Western military presence. After the September 11 attacks by Al Qaeda, a US-led military invasion overthrew the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. The Islamist government in Kabul usually justifies the detention of foreigners on the grounds of national security or citing violations of local laws and customs.

dpa