Austrian man arrested in Afghanistan, accused of espionage

Austria's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that an Austrian man has been arrested in Afghanistan after traveling to Afghanistan earlier this year.

Ministry gave information through email

The ministry confirmed this in response to an email regarding the matter. The ministry said the Austrian man had traveled to Afghanistan in May and was arrested there. Let us tell you that Austria has long warned people against traveling to Afghanistan.

Actively looking for solution: Ministry

The person was not identified nor given further details, citing data protection issues. But Austria's foreign ministry said it was "actively looking for a solution and is in regular contact with his family" since learning of the arrest.

Austrian news agency reported

The Austrian daily Der Standard, which first reported on the matter, said the man is a seasoned far-right extremist in his 80s and was a co-founder of a minor far-right party, which was founded in 1988. was banned. The news agency said the man had been in custody in Afghanistan for some weeks.

Shortly after the detention, a far-right magazine was reported to have published an article titled "Vacation with the Taliban", in which it gave a positive outlook on life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. According to the report, he is accused of espionage and Austrian neo-Nazis publicized his case through Telegram channels.