According to the Austrian Foreign Ministry, an Austrian man is being imprisoned in Afghanistan after visiting the country early this year.
In an emailed response to a question about the matter, the ministry verified that the individual travelled to Afghanistan in May and was arrested there. It was pointed out that Austria has long advised avoiding travelling to Afghanistan.
It did not identify the individual or provide any details, citing data protection concerns, but stated that it has been "actively looking for a solution" since learning of the arrest and is in constant contact with his family.
Judging by the report, he has been held for a few weeks, since shortly after a far-right magazine published an article he wrote titled "Vacation with the Taliban" in which he provided a pleasant image of life in Afghanistan under Taliban control. He is accused of spying, according to the article, and Austrian neo-Nazis made his case public via Telegram channels.
According to Der Standard, the Austrian — known only as Herbert F. — has a history of visiting dangerous places, including Afghanistan in the 1980s and, more recently, Kurds fighting against the Islamic State organisation in northern Syria.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, as US and NATO troops were preparing to leave the nation after 20 years of conflict.
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