UK ‘In Negotiations’ After 3 British Men Detained by Taliban in Afghanistan

Undated handout file photo of Miles Routledge in Afghanistan, issued on April 1, 2023. Miles Routledge via PA Media

The UK government is “in negotiations” after reports that three British men are being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the home secretary said on Sunday.

The Presidium Network, a UK-based non-profit organisation, named one of the men as Kevin Cornwell, a 53-year-old charity medic from Middlesbrough.

Presidium said it is assisting Cornwell and another unnamed British man, who were detained by Taliban secret police on Jan. 11.

The organisation also confirmed that a third Briton—Miles Routledge—is in Taliban custody.

Routledge, 23, is a British holidaymaker from Birmingham who received widespread attention and criticism on social media in August 2021 having travelled to Afghanistan despite the Taliban’s rapid military advances across the nation.

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman arrives in Downing Street, central London, on March 7, 2023. Leon Neal/Getty Images

Speaking on the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme on Sky News, Suella Braverman said that “anyone travelling to dangerous parts of the world should take the utmost caution” and always act on the travel advice issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).

She added: “If there are risks to people’s safety, if they’re a British citizen abroad, then the UK government is going to do whatever it takes to ensure that they’re safe. And the government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure people’s safety is upheld.”

Pressed on whether negotiations are currently happening, Braverman replied: “If there are problems and if there are safety concerns to British individuals abroad, then the FCDO will be working actively to ensure people are safe.”

Taliban fighters keeping a watch at an outpost in Tawakh Village of Anaba district, Panjshir Province, Afghanistan, on July 8, 2022. Wakil Khosar/AFP via Getty Images

‘In Good Health’

Scott Richards, co-founder of the Presidium Network, said on Saturday that there had been no contact with the men but he had been told that “those men are in good health and being treated well.”

“I have no reason to believe they have been subject to any poor treatment whatsoever,” he told the PA news agency.

He said the men are being held in a general directorate of intelligence facility for foreigners.

Commenting on the UK government’s role in this issue on Sunday, Richards said, “The FCDO would be fully anticipated to be using its available resources to support the negotiations and understand the circumstances facing the detainees.”

“We are not privileged with any information pertaining to their actions and, should we become aware of them, we would be unable to discuss,” he added.

“We certainly welcome their assistance and would be pleased to cooperate alongside, as we have done in the past.”

An FCDO spokesman said: “We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.”

Travel Advice

The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan based on the security risks, including detention.

In its travel advice—updated on March 22, 2023—the FCDO said: “You should not travel to Afghanistan.

“The security situation in Afghanistan remains extremely volatile. There is an ongoing and high threat of terrorist attacks through Afghanistan, including around the airport.

“There is a heightened threat of terrorist attacks in or around religious sites and during religious festivals, such as the month of Ramadan. Travel throughout Afghanistan is extremely dangerous, and border crossings may not be open.”

The Foreign Office added: “There are currently no British consular officials in Afghanistan and our ability to provide consular assistance is severely limited and cannot be delivered in person within Afghanistan.

“If you choose to travel to or stay in Afghanistan against FCDO advice, you should keep a low profile. Be vigilant, try to avoid all crowds and public events including religious events, and take appropriate security precautions.”

The travel advice emphasised that “there is a heightened risk of detention of British nationals.”

“The British government may not be notified about such detentions; communications with next of kin may not be guaranteed; and detention may be lengthy,” it added.

‘Dark Chapter’

The UK’s involvement in Afghanistan began as part of a U.S.-led coalition in 2001, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Some 457 UK military personnel lost their lives during the 20-year war, which cost British taxpayers more than £27 billion ($33 billion).

Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade who returned from helping in operations to evacuate people from Kabul airport in Afghanistan walk to the air terminal after disembarking an RAF Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, England, on Aug. 28, 2021. Alastair Grant/PA

NATO forces were forced to withdraw in August 2021 after the Taliban took over the country. The evacuation, codenamed Operation Pitting, resulted in 15,000 Afghans who had worked with British authorities being brought to the UK but left many behind.

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Defence Committee of the House of Commons, said in February that the chaotic withdrawal was a “dark chapter in UK military history.”

He said the government should carry out a review of the UK’s 20-year Afghan mission “to take an unflinching look at where we went wrong.”

“It is only through this that we can learn the necessary lessons and prevent this from ever happening again,” he added.

PA Media contributed to this report.