3 British nationals held by Taliban in Afghanistan
Apr 02, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], April 3 : Three British nationals, including so-called "danger tourist" Miles Routledge, are currently held in Taliban custody in Afghanistan, according to Khaama Press.
Citing various media reports, Khaama Press stated that two of them are charity medic Kevin Cornwell,53, and another unidentified UK national who manages a hotel in Kabul.
The Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) detained Cornwell at his hotel in January as the suspect of keeping an illegal handgun in his room safe. However, the family claimed that Cornwell had a licence for it.
meanwhile, Routledge had been evacuated from Afghanistan by the British military in August 2021, but he just made the decision to go back.
He is a famous YouTuber who travels to dangerous countries and posts about them on social media, reported Khaama Press.
Routledge's Twitter states that he goes "to the most dangerous places on Earth for fun", listing off recent destinations as Afghanistan, South Sudan and Ukraine.
In February, he tweeted that if he were ever placed on a "no-fly list", he would take an "Uber to Afghanistan."
Looking at the cases in Afghanistan, the UK government advised British nationals against all travel to Afghanistan.
British people have been advised by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the UK to keep a low profile and use caution if they decide to travel to or stay in Afghanistan despite the "heightened" risk of imprisonment, as per the report in Khaama Press.
Furthermore, due to the high level of security, the statement advised British citizens to stay away from Kabul Airport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, religious gatherings, festivals, and marketplaces.