Taliban release 84-year-old Austrian detained last year
The Hindu
84-year-old Austrian man released by Taliban in Afghanistan, returning home with Qatar's help after arrest for spying.
An 84-year-old Austrian man who travelled to Afghanistan last year and was arrested there was released by the country's Taliban rulers, the Austrian government said February 25.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry in a statement identified the man as Herbert Fritz and said he arrived in Doha, Qatar from Afghanistan on Sunday afternoon. If necessary, he will be given medical treatment before continuing on to Austria, it said.
A spokeswoman for the Austrian Foreign Ministry told AP that Mr. Fritz had been held in a prison in Kabul. He was not immediately available for comment.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer thanked the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his team for their “strong support in releasing one of our citizens from prison in Afghanistan.”
“It is only due to our trusted collaboration that this Austrian citizen will be able to return home to his daughter and grandchildren,” Mr. Nehammer said.
Qatar's Foreign Affairs ministry released a statement on X expressing gratitude to the “caretaker government in Afghanistan” for releasing the Austrian.
“The State of Qatar has proven, regionally and globally, that it is a trusted international partner in various important issues, and it spares no effort in harnessing its energy and ability in the areas of mediation, preventive diplomacy, and settling disputes through peaceful means ... ," it said.
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