KABUL, Afghanistan (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Afghanistan's Taliban rulers said Sunday that Western diplomats would not be allowed to meet eight foreign aid workers held on charges of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.Officials of the Islamic Taliban movement also informed U.N. special representative for Afghanistan Francesc Vendrell of violations' by the detained workers of the German-based Shelter Now International aid agency, a Pakistan- based Afghan news service reported. (Read photo caption below)
Besides 16 Afghan nationals, the 24 aid workers arrested last weekend include four Germans, two Americans and two Australians, and diplomats from the three countries have been waiting in neighboring Pakistan for nearly a week for visas to travel to Kabul to visit them.
``If the purpose of issue of the visas is to visit the detainees, then that's not suitable,'' Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil told a news conference. ``But if they want to come and meet the authorities for talks, that's not impossible.''
Muttawakil was quoted in a Saudi newspaper Sunday as saying the foreigners could receive five years' jail if convicted, but that the Afghans faced execution under the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Diplomats said the Taliban stance was unacceptable and they would persevere with efforts for consular access.
``We will not go to Kabul without having the permission to see the detainees,'' said a German diplomat. ``We are not in the mood to sit around in Kabul without having consular access to the detainees...this is unacceptable to us.''
Muttawakil said investigations had to first be completed. ''While the detainees are in the process of investigation and detention, then this thought (meeting detainees) should be removed from their minds,'' he said.
PHOTO CAPTION:
United Nations special envoy to Afghanistan, Francesco Vendrell meets with an official of the ruling Taliban at Kabul airport, August 11, 2001. Vendrell plans to hold discussions with the Taliban authorities over the arrests of 24 foreign and local staff of the Western aid agency, Shelter Now International, who have been detained since last week by the Islamic rulers for preaching Christianity among Muslim Afghans. (Sayed Salahuddin/Reuters)