Brit arrested over release of UN hostages

A BRITISH former cameraman based in Afghanistan said yesterday he was arrested after attempting to broker the release of the three United Nations hostages freed this week.

Peter Jouvenal, who has worked for the BBC and famously filmed John Simpson "liberating" Kabul during the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, was arrested on Thursday for liaising with the banned group that claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

The British hostage Annetta Flanigan and her two UN colleagues were freed on Tuesday almost four weeks after they were snatched at gunpoint from a street in Kabul.

Mr Jouvenal, who now runs a hotel in Kabul, said he acted as go-between for a $1.5 million (800,000) ransom bid. "I was involved in successfully negotiating their release," Mr Jouvenal said yesterday as he was released after 19 hours of interrogation. "I got them out. I suppose I was a bit naive to expect any thanks for it."

Mr Jouvenal, who has more than 20 years experience in Afghanistan, said he offered the ransom through Afghan contacts on behalf of Behgjet Pacolli, a millionaire Kosovan businessman and a relative of the Kosovar hostage, Shqipe Habibi. "It was all through old mujahideen contacts in Peshawar," he said. "At the end, Mr Pacolli was prepared to pay $1.5 million for their release. Initially he offered $1.2 million, and that was declined. The kidnappers said the Afghan government had already offered more."

Mr Jouvenal said he did not know if any money had been paid, but added: "I am positive that Mr Pacolli was entirely responsible for their release."

Mr Pacolli has denied paying a ransom.

The Afghan government has also denied that any ransom or release of Taleban prisoners secured their release.

Syed Akhbar Agha, the leader of Taleban splinter group Jaish-al-Muslimeen, which claimed to hold the three, has said that the government agreed to release 24 Taleban prisoners for Ms Flanigan and Filipino Angelito Nayan. He said that Ms Habibi was released after a personal plea by Mr Pacolli.

The Afghan government believes that the three were probably in the hands of a criminal gang, possibly acting on behalf of Jaish-al-Muslimeen.

Mr Jouvenal was arrested by plain-clothed officials on Thursday afternoon and interrogated on the whereabouts of the hostage takers. He was released without charge yesterday afternoon. "After 19 hours of questioning they tried to get me to sign a statement saying I was part of the kidnap gang," he said.

The Afghan government was officially responsible for securing the release of the hostages.