The mother of a British man being detained in Afghanistan by the Taliban has said she is “distraught” and “desperate to know that he is safe”.
Miles Routledge, 23, a YouTuber who documents his travels to dangerous places online, is one of three British men being held by the Taliban.
Charity medic Kevin Cornwell, 53, and another unnamed man who manages a hotel for aid workers in Kabul have been detained since January.
Kevin Cornwell and the unnamed man have been allowed to make phone calls to their relatives.
Miles Routledge was reportedly detained by the Taliban on March 2, but his mother, Susan Routledge, says she has not been allowed to speak to him.
“I’m distraught. It is so worrying. I just want help to find out what has happened to him and make sure he is OK,” Susan Routledge told the Daily Mail.
“If I can get a message to those who are holding him, I just want to ask them to tell him he has my love and support,” she added.
“I am just desperate to know that he is safe. I don’t know who is holding him or where he is’”
Scott Richards, a negotiator with conflict zone charity Presidium Network, has been assisting the men’s families.
Kevin Cornwell and the unnamed Briton spent 10 minutes in conversation with their families on Sunday morning.
He told Sky News: “We’re very pleased to announce that there has been contact between families and the detainees.
“They were able to spend about 10 minutes this morning in an unscripted conversation, which is very important. This is a landmark move and for any negotiation with the Taliban, because we haven’t seen any of this privilege before.
“They’ve certainly taking this as a goodwill gesture and an incredibly important step.”
Miles Routledge had recently posted videos of him firing assault weapons with members of the Taliban.
Kevin Cornwell had been in Afghanistan for 11 months working as a medic for Iqarus International, which provides free healthcare to local people.
He was arrested in a raid at his hotel by officers from the General Directorate of Intelligence on January 11.
Kevin Cornwell stands accused of having an illegal firearm in the safe in his room at the Darya Village Hotel, despite having a permit from the Taliban government.
According to reports, the manager of the hotel was also detained in the raid and both are being held in a secure unit for foreign nationals run by the Taliban’s intelligence agency (GDI).
No charges have been brought and they have not been granted legal representation.
The UK withdrew embassy and consular staff in 2021 and the British Foreign Office continues to advise citizens against all travel to Afghanistan based on the security risks involved, including the possibility of detention by the Taliban authorities.
A British Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.”
The Taliban has not commented on the arrests.
