The journalists working with UN detained while doing their assignment for the UN refugee agency in the Afghan capital have been released now.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, “We are now relaxed while confirming about the release news in Kabul of the two journalists on assignment with UNHCR and the Afghan nationals working with them.”
One of the journalists is Andrew North, a British former BBC journalist covering Afghanistan for more than 20 years. She continuously travelled to the war-ravaged country to cover the report on its deteriorating humanitarian crisis.
Earlier, his wife ‘Natalia Antelava’ called for his release via Twitter and wrote in a tweet: “Andrew was in Kabul working for the UNHCR and trying to help the people of Afghanistan.”
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid previously said the officers were looking into the matter.
There was no sign of what started the detentions. UN agencies employ journalists to report on their work around the world.
Calls to release former journalist
On February 11, Friday, the companions of a British-German former journalist detained in Afghanistan insisted the authorities release him, saying that they think he is held in error.
According to the friends of Peter Jouvenal, he was arrested in December 2021 while in the country for business and family reasons.
And his friends were concerned for his safety following the detention by the authorities in Afghanistan at the start of December, and he is in prison without any charges. He had no freedom to call and meet with his family or even his lawyer.
Peter family and friends thought first that they charged him mistakenly, as he was in Afghanistan in order to discuss investments in the Afghanistan mining industry as well as to conduct family business. Before his arrest, he was working openly and had many meetings with the senior officials of the Taliban.
They further stated that they requested Afghan officials to release Peter soon.
A report earlier this month stated that at least 50 Afghan media workers have been arrested or detained by the police or the Taliban’s intelligence agency.
Many journalists, including women, were killed in a binge of targeted attacks blamed on the Taliban in the build-up to their offensive to take back control.