On Friday, the identical day that the Rauf brothers have been launched, a “proof of life” video surfaced of Mark Frerichs, an American who was kidnapped greater than two years in the past and believed to be held by the Taliban and its associates earlier than they took over all the nation final August. Frerichs, a Navy veteran and civil engineer, was engaged on growth tasks in Afghanistan.
The video was obtained by the New Yorker, and Frerichs’ sister confirmed his identification.
Together with Frerichs, the Taliban has additionally detained British citizen Peter Jouvenal, a businessman and former tv journalist who filmed the primary tv interview with Osama bin Laden for CNN in 1997. Jouvenal and I’ve been associates since we first labored for CNN collectively in Afghanistan practically three many years in the past.
He was taken into custody by the Taliban in mid-December, across the identical time that 4 different British residents have been additionally detained.
Jouvenal’s household and associates, who nervous his detention may have been an error, launched an announcement in February, saying, “He’s a Muslim, is aware of Afghanistan higher than most foreigners, is married to an Afghan (they’ve three daughters), and speaks each principal languages. He’s being held with out cost … Earlier than his arrest, he was working overtly and had frequent conferences with senior Taliban officers.”
If the Taliban sincerely wish to be handled because the accountable de facto authorities of Afghanistan, they need to launch the British and Americans that they proceed to carry.
The Islamic holy season of Ramadan is starting around the globe, which is historically a time for charity and reconciliation. The Taliban ought to use this event to launch the six detainees that they’re holding.
And if they are not keen to take action, the British and American governments also needs to leverage the appreciable support that they’re persevering with to present to humanitarian organizations in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to safe the discharge of their detainees.
