Taliban holding three British men in detention in Afghanistan
Charity medic, hotelier and ‘danger tourist’ reportedly arrested by Taliban’s secret police in January
''Three British men including a charity medic and a self-styled “danger tourist” are being held in custody by the Taliban in Afghanistan, it has been reported.
The Mail on Sunday said Kevin Cornwell, a 53-year-old charity medic, and another British national who manages a hotel for aid workers in Kabul, who has not been named, were detained by the Taliban’s secret police in January.
The other Briton being held is Miles Routledge, 23, who returned to the country after being evacuated by British armed forces less than two years ago during the Kabul airlift, after he travelled there for a “holiday” and was caught up in the chaos of the Taliban takeover.''
''Mr Cornwell and the other unnamed Brit were arrested at a hotel in Kabul when Afghan intelligence officers found a gun in Mr Cornwell's hotel room safe on January 11.
The Presidium Network said the pair have been held without charge since they were arrested.
Afghan officers accused Mr Cornwell - who works for a charity providing free local healthcare and liaises with the likes of the United Nations and Unicef - of having an unlicensed gun. The Presidium Network said the firearm was licensed and that the arrests were part of a misunderstanding.''
It is not known how long Mr Routledge, a controversial YouTuber who travelled to Afghanistan on holiday days before the Taliban took over in 2021, has been held for.
Presidium Network said it is not in touch with or acting for Mr Routledge, who was airlifted out of Afghanistan in 2021 by the British military during the fall of Kabul.
According to his social media channels, he appears to have made a number of visits since to Afghanistan.
An account claiming to belong to the Taliban’s public relations department had been tweeting about Mr Routledge throughout March, calling him a "beloved brother" and denying rumours that he’d been arrested.
However, his accounts have been silent since the end of February.''
