It is understood that the five were arrested separately and British sources said that nothing was given in exchange for their release except an apology on their part. However, the British government on Sunday issued a statement denouncing the violence in Afghanistan and saying that there is no alternative to a pragmatic commitment to the current government. Jouvenal was arrested by the Taliban in Kabul six months ago after traveling to the country to discuss some mining investments and talk to his many longtime friends in the country. He is married to an Afghan with whom he has three children and was, in the words of BBC journalist John Simpson, one of the best television cameramen in the world. The two men worked together almost two decades ago. He is 66 years old and has hypertension. He had little access to the outside world in captivity, had not been seen by the International Committee of the Red Cross and had not been charged. The FCDO said it would not release the names of any of the other released men, but confirmed that no other Britons were being held in custody. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted: “We are delighted that the United Kingdom has secured the release of five British nationals detained in Afghanistan. They will soon be reunited with their families. “I am grateful for the hard work of British diplomats to ensure this result.” The FCDO said: “We welcome and appreciate the release of five British nationals detained in Afghanistan by the current Afghan administration. “These British nationals had no role in the British Government’s work in Afghanistan and traveled to Afghanistan against the UK Government’s travel advice. That was wrong. “On behalf of the families of the British nationals, we apologize for any breach of Afghan culture, customs or laws and offer assurances of future good behavior. The Government of the United Kingdom regrets this incident. “ The day before, in a statement that may have been part of the diplomatic effort, Hugo Shorter, the Doha-based UK Commissioner for Afghanistan, said: “The UK does not support anyone, including Afghans, seeking to bring about political change through violence or any activity that incites violence for political purposes, in Afghanistan, and will not allow the use of UK territory for its planning or preparation, and we strongly discourage others from doing so. “Violence of any kind is not in the interest of Afghanistan, nor of the international community, and we regret the terrorist attacks of any kind. “To promote peace and stability, to provide meaningful humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and to address common security concerns, there is no alternative to a real commitment to the current Afghan administration, and we are doing that.” There seemed to be no apparent reason for the statement to be made public. The UK does not recognize the Taliban and, like other nations, is fighting to work with them to protect the ordinary people of Afghanistan, yet it is disgusted with the way women have been driven back home and out of school. education. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST The State Department recently strongly advised shadow Foreign Minister David Lamy not to travel to Afghanistan, saying he was putting himself in danger and urging him not to speak to the Taliban during his two-day visit. Lammy never intended to meet with the Taliban and focused his UN-sponsored visit on the humanitarian crisis in the country and the plight of women. Lammy has been critical of the fact that no British minister has been to Afghanistan since the US-led flight last August led to the collapse of the former government and the triumph of the Taliban.
