Taliban releases Austrian far-right activist held in Afghanistan By Reuters

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© Reuters. Launched taliban hostage and Austrian nationwide Herbert Fritz speaks with the media after disembarking from a airplane, in Doha, Qatar, February 25, 2024. REUTERS/Arafat Barbakh

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(Reuters) – The Taliban on Sunday launched Herbert Fritz, an 84-year-old Austrian and far-right nationalist who was arrested in Afghanistan final Might.

The Austrian authorities mentioned in a press release Fritz arrived in Doha earlier within the day after mediation by the Qatari authorities helped to safe his launch.

After his arrest final yr, Austria’s Der Normal newspaper mentioned Fritz had gone to Afghanistan and reported positively on life there. This helped gas anti-immigration arguments that Afghanistan was a protected nation to which refugees might return, the paper mentioned.

The Taliban arrested him on suspicion of spying, Der Normal mentioned.

The Austrian overseas ministry mentioned it had been working to safe Fritz’s launch since Might, and thanked Qatar and the European Union illustration in Kabul for helping its efforts to result in his return to Austria.

Fritz was a founding member of the nation’s Nationwide Democratic Social gathering (NDP), an excessive proper group banned in 1988, based on Der Normal and different media.

Austria’s far-right Freedom Social gathering, which has been main opinion polls forward of parliamentary elections due later this yr, had pressed for Fritz’s launch. The get together has mentioned he was researching a ebook in Afghanistan.

Qatar’s overseas ministry expressed gratitude to Afghanistan’s Taliban administration for its cooperation in releasing the Austrian, with out naming him.

The Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance, which displays far-right exercise, described Fritz as an lively participant in extreme-right political circles.

Fritz was not instantly reachable for remark.