Four British nationals taken prisoner in early 2023 in Afghanistan have been released by the Taliban on Tuesday morning, according to the British Foreign Office.
Two of the four were named as 54-year-old Kevin Cornwall, who operated as a United Nations (UN) aid worker and paramedic in the country, and 23-year-old, self-described “danger tourist” Miles Routledge, known by his online pseudonym “Lord Miles”. The identities of the other two are yet to be announced.
Cornwall was accused by the Taliban of being a spy after authorities allegedly found a firearm hidden in his hotel room. Lord Miles claimed he was arrested after withdrawing $1,000 from Western Union bank.
Bizarrely, the British Foreign Office issued a groveling statement to the Taliban: “On behalf of families of the British nationals, we express their apologies to the current administration of Afghanistan for any violations of the laws of the country.
“The U.K. government regrets this episode,” the statement added.