Header Ads Widget

‘Danger tourist’ among three Brits held prisoner by Taliban in Afghanistan

Miles Routledge, left and inset, and Kevin Cornwell, right, were captured in January (Picture: PA)
Miles Routledge, left and inset, and Kevin Cornwell, right, were captured in January (Picture: PA)

Three Brits, including a well-known ‘danger tourist’, are being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Miles Routledge, 23, faced backlash in 2021 after bragging he went on holiday to the country ‘because it was dangerous’.

The student had accepted that he might die there.

Miles was later evacuated by the British Army, but has since made a return trip to Afghanistan.

Undated handout photo of Miles Routledge in Afghanistan, who travelled to the country on holiday and has been evacuated to Dubai after being forced in to hiding by the advance of the Taliban. Issue date: Tuesday August 17, 2021. PA Photo. The Loughborough University student, 21, received widespread attention and criticism on social media having travelled to the country on a planned trip last week despite the extremist group's gains in the nation. See PA story POLITICS Afghanistan. Photo credit should read: Miles Routledge/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Miles Routledge was evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021 but has since returned (Picture: PA)
Taliban Public Relations Department, Commentary @TalibanPRD Our dear brother Mr. Miles @real_lord_miles visited our glorious country and embraced our beautiful religion. He is one of the few westerners who has experienced our authentic masculine lifestyle, free of homosexuality and feminism. We hope to see him again soon. #Afghanistan 12:23 PM ? Feb 7, 2023 ? Lord Miles @real_lord_miles TWITTER Miles Routledge
The influencer travels ‘to the most dangerous places on Earth for fun’ (Picture: Twitter/PA)

According to MailOnline, Miles is being held by Taliban secret police alongside aid worker Kevin Cornwell and an unnamed UK national who runs a Kabul hotel.

The group have reportedly been trapped since January.

Mr Cornwell, who has been working as a medic for Iqarus International, is said to have been arrested and accused of having an illegal firearm in his hotel room.

The exact location where the group is being held is currently unclear.

Kevin Cornwell, 53, a British medic for charity Iqarus, who has been detained by the Taliban?s General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul, Afghanistan, since January 11.
Kevin Cornwell, 53, a British medic for charity Iqarus, is also reportedly being held (Picture: PA)

The UK does not have an embassy or any consulates in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson told Sky News: ‘We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.’

Miles, who goes by @real_lord_miles on Twitter, previously has said he travels ‘to the most dangerous places on Earth for fun’.

He documented his evacuation from Afghanistan in a series of posts, pictures and videos in 2021.

A Taliban fighter stands guard as worshippers attend Friday prayer during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, March 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
A Taliban fighter stands guard as worshippers attend Friday prayer during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, March 31 (Picture: AP)
Taliban Public Relations Department, Commentary @TalibanPRD Our dear brother Mr. Miles @real_lord_miles visited our glorious country and embraced our beautiful religion. He is one of the few westerners who has experienced our authentic masculine lifestyle, free of homosexuality and feminism. We hope to see him again soon. #Afghanistan 12:23 PM ? Feb 7, 2023 ? Lord Miles @real_lord_miles TWITTER Miles Routledge
Miles pictured in Afghanistan on his previous visit (Picture: Twitter)

He wrote: ‘Got evacuated at 4ish (it’s 2am now) with 100 or so other civilians, couldn’t message as there were cars emitting signals that would set off bombs, it blocked my airpods from connecting so I think it blocked all wifi/data.

‘The Taliban let us go through the airport and we met many of them, very long transition period but everyone was smiling and waving at one another, some took selfies with them.’

He added: ‘On the flight out we aren’t allowed any liquids at all, no razors and only one bag up to 10kg so everyone is tossing all their belongings into a pile, people are donating each other their items because they can’t carry them.

‘Some lads stuffed my body armour and bag with protein bars, over 20 of them. Very happy man rn (right now). Thank you lads.’

Earlier today, it was revealed a women-run radio station in Afghanistan’s north east has been shut down for playing music during the holy month of Ramadan, a Taliban official said.

Sadai Banowan, which means ‘women’s voice’ in Dari, is Afghanistan’s only women-run station and started 10 years ago. It has eight staff, six of them female.

Moezuddin Ahmadi, the director for Information and Culture in Badakhshan province, said the station violated the ‘laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate’ several times by broadcasting songs and music during Ramadan and was closed because of the breach.

Station head Najia Sorosh denied there was any violation, saying there was no need for the closure and called it a conspiracy. The Taliban ‘told us that you have broadcast music. We have not broadcast any kind of music’, she said.

The Taliban have barred women from most forms of employment and education beyond the sixth grade, including university.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.



from News – Metro https://ift.tt/IPrt7Gc

Post a Comment

0 Comments