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Afghans: reporter faces spy charges
Associated Press
9/29/01
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A British journalist arrested after sneaking into Afghanistan is under investigation for possible espionage charges, Talibun-run Kabul radio reported Saturday.
Yvonne Ridley, 43, a reporter for the Sunday Express of London, was arrested Friday along with two Afghan companions in Dour Daba district of eastern Afghanistan, the station reported.
Her camera was seized and she was taken to Jalalabad for investigation.
In a broadcast monitored in Pakistan, the Taliban said Ridley "has been arrested on charges of spying and the investigation is continuing'' by Taliban intelligence authorities in Nangarhar province.
The broadcast gave no indication how long the investigation would take or when she would stand trial.
In London, Ridley's father wept Saturday as he recounted how he heard she had been seized by the Taliban after slipping into Afghanistan.
Alan Ridley, said the reporter's 8-year-old daughter, Daisy, had not yet been told that her mother has been arrested.
Speaking to reporters outside his home near Beamish in northeast England, a tearful Ridley said he heard of his daughter's detention when he went to fetch his granddaughter from her boarding school, which had been informed of the development. He said the only information he has about his daughter comes from newspaper reports.
Asked if he had any message for her, he said she "knows how much we love her and we just want her home.''
The Afghan Islamic Press said Ridley was wearing traditional Afghan dress and was not carrying any travel documents when she was arrested. She had been in the area since the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.
A spokeswoman said the British Foreign Office is "making inquiries about her well-being and any charges that may be brought against her. If these reports are confirmed we urge those holding her to treat her well and to resolve this situation quickly.''
However, the situation poses problems for diplomats as Britain does not recognize the Taliban regime. Neighboring Pakistan, which may have intervened, has distanced itself from the Taliban and taken a stance more supportive of the United States.
Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend said: "We are deeply concerned about Yvonne and are co-operating with all agencies to secure her safe release. She is an experienced and courageous journalist and we will do everything we can to bring her home safely.''