Qatar mediates release of Austrian detained in Afghanistan
84-year-old Herbert Fritz arrived in Doha from Afghanistan on Sunday afternoon
Agencies
Doha: The State of Qatar has announced the success of its mediation efforts in releasing an Austrian detainee in Afghanistan, and confirmed his arrival in Doha prior to his final destination.
The Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, expressed Qatar’s gratitude to the caretaker government of Afghanistan for their cooperation in the release of the Austrian national.
He added that Qatar enjoys strong bilateral relations with the Republic of Austria, and is delighted with the release of the national.
“The State of Qatar has proven, regionally and globally, that it is a trusted international partner in various important issues, and it spares no effort in harnessing its energy and ability in the areas of mediation, preventive diplomacy, and settling disputes through peaceful means, as it is a strategic option and a basic pillar of its foreign policy,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, an Associated Press report said the Austrian Foreign Ministry in a statement identified the released man as 84-year-old Herbert Fritz and said he arrived in Doha from Afghanistan on Sunday afternoon. If necessary, he will be given medical treatment before continuing on to Austria, it said.
A spokeswoman for the Austrian Foreign Ministry said that the man had been held in a prison in Kabul.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer thanked the Amir of Qatar HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his team for their “strong support in releasing one of our citizens from prison in Afghanistan.”
“It is only due to our trusted collaboration that this Austrian citizen will be able to return home to his daughter and grandchildren,” Nehammer said.
Austrian newspaper Der Standard reported last year that an Austrian man had been arrested in Afghanistan and that he was a veteran far-right extremist and co-founder of a minor far-right party that was banned in 1988, the National Democratic Party.
It said he had been in custody for a few weeks, since shortly after a far-right magazine published an article he wrote titled “Vacation with the Taliban” in which he gave a positive view of life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. According to the report, he was accused of spying and Austrian neo-Nazis made his case public via Telegram channels.
According to Der Standard, the Austrian has been a keen traveler to dangerous locations, visiting Afghanistan in the 1980s and, a few years ago, visiting Kurds fighting against the Islamic State group in northern Syria.
