Qatar secures release of Austrian detained in Afghanistan

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) — Qatar on Sunday announced that it had managed to mediate the release of an Austrian national detained in Afghanistan, the Qatari News Agency reported.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Austrian detainee has arrived in Doha in preparation for his transfer to his final destination," reported the agency.

"As announced by the Chancellor's Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday afternoon, the 84-year-old has already landed in the Qatari capital, Doha," reported Austria press agency.

The Austrian agency added that Fritz "had been held by Taliban since May 2023."

Austria's Foreign Ministry has said he traveled to Afghanistan despite previous warnings against visiting the country, where the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

According to Austrian daily Der Standard, Fritz has a keen interest in visiting high-risk regions, including Afghanistan during the 1980s and, more recently, eastern Ukraine, a significant battleground in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war since early 2022.