Herbert Fritz was arrested in Might final 12 months
Doha, Qatar:
An Austrian far-right extremist who visited Afghanistan reportedly to show it was a secure nation was launched on Sunday after 9 months in detention there.
Herbert Fritz, 84, who based on Austrian media has shut hyperlinks to the far-right extremist scene, arrived within the Qatari capital Doha after being freed by Taliban authorities.
Fritz was arrested in Might after defying Austria’s long-standing warning in opposition to journey to Afghanistan, which in 2021 returned to the rule of the Taliban who imposed a strict interpretation of Islam.
“I believe it was unhealthy luck however I wish to go to once more,” he instructed reporters on arrival in Doha, when requested about his ordeal.
“There have been some good individuals however there have been some silly individuals additionally, I am sorry,” Fritz added, describing his captors.
Austrian authorities thanked Qatar, the gas-rich Gulf emirate, for aiding Fritz’s launch and mentioned he might obtain medical care in Doha earlier than flying dwelling.
The Taliban authorities’s inside and international ministries didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Based on Austrian newspaper Der Commonplace, one among Fritz’s passions was visiting “harmful” locations, together with Afghanistan within the Eighties and jap Ukraine in recent times.
Making an attempt to show that Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is secure, he travelled there final 12 months and revealed an article titled “Holidays with the Taliban” by way of a far-right media outlet.
He was arrested shortly afterwards on suspicion of espionage, Der Commonplace mentioned. Such journey reviews might need been a bid to painting Afghanistan as a secure nation to return Afghan refugees to, the newspaper added.
Prior to now, based on Austrian media, Fritz has met Kurdish chief Abdullah Ocalan — at the moment jailed in Turkey.
He additionally reportedly visited fighters of the Individuals’s Safety Models (YPG), the principle part of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the de facto military of the Kurdish semi-autonomous administration in Syria’s northeast.
Turkey views the YPG as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Staff’ Get together (PKK) — a gaggle designated by Ankara and plenty of of its Western allies as a terrorist organisation.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
