British prisoners freed from Taliban custody

Five UK nationals released from imprisonment in Afghanistan after apology from the Foreign Office

FIVE British prisoners have been released after months in Taliban custody in Afghanistan, after the Government made an apology on their behalf.

Peter Jouvenal, a former BBC news cameraman turned businessman, was among those freed after he was arrested by Taliban intelligence officers who wrongly said he was a British spy.

Yesterday afternoon, the 64-year-old father of three was on a plane out of the country to be reunited with his family.

Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said she was “pleased the UK has secured the release of five British nationals detained in Afghanistan”.

“They will soon be reunited with their families,” she added. “I am grateful for the hard work of British diplomats to secure this outcome.”

The other prisoners were not immediately named. They are understood to have been arrested in different incidents, having travelled to the country after the Taliban takeover last August.

Several are also thought to have been under suspicion of espionage. Sources familiar with the cases said all the accusations had been “misunderstandings”, as scrutiny of foreigners by the Taliban’s intelligence officials increased. The Daily Telegraph understands no money changed hands to free the prisoners.

A Foreign Office statement said: “These British nationals had no role in the UK Government’s work in Afghanistan

and travelled to Afghanistan against the UK Government’s travel advice... On behalf of the families of the British nationals, we express their apologies for any breach of Afghan culture, customs or laws, and offer their assurance of future good conduct.”

Hours before the announcement, the Government delivered a statement saying it would not allow British soil to be used by anyone inciting violence, or “seeking to achieve political change through violence” in Afghanistan. Taliban figures praised this, leading to speculation it was to smooth the prisoner release. In Kabul, Afghanistan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that the Britons were “carrying out activities against the country’s laws and traditions of the people”.

Friends of Mr Jouvenal campaigned for the Government to do more for his release after his arrest in December.

The British and German dual national had begun his career covering the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and reported on the country’s turmoil for decades afterwards. He later became a businessman and ran the Gandamack Lodge hotel and restaurant in Kabul.

John Simpson, the BBC foreign correspondent and world affairs editor, said earlier this year that Mr Jouvenal had been arrested and accused of spying while taking photos as he looked for a property for a business venture. He had been investigating mining opportunities, friends said.

“In the febrile atmosphere of Kabul today, Peter was accused of espionage,” Mr Simpson wrote in February.

“I’ve been locked up with him in Afghanistan in the past, though not under these conditions, and I know how resilient and funny he is.”