Mr Cornwell and the three other British Nationals which includes Miles Routledge have been released and have left Afghanistan. They are coming home! Thank you to everyone for their support of these men during this difficult period. We are all relieved.

We remain gravely concerned about the status of Mr Cornwell's health. The matter is of significant concern on the base of arbitrary detention, and there are many more people detained than the 4 Britons. The use of arbitrary detention by any nation is an abuse of the rights of individuals, but for a country such as Afghanistan, a nascent government with the challenges Afghanistan faces will lead to greater economic and political isolation. The IEA has had every opportunity to demonstrate dialogue works, and as we come into winter, and the end of the U.S. financial year it will likely be more difficult to find donors for the nation. Should Mr Cornwell, experience another critical health incident, his death would be probable, already after suffering infections, and such a death in IEA custody, with the full knowledge of his health issues would be catastrophic for the position of the IEA in the international community. It would be catastrophic for the role of aid, catastrophic for the attraction of economic activity.

Arbitrary Detention is a violation of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (“UDHR”), under “Article 9”. Arbitrary detention is also a violation of the “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”. Arbitrary Detention is considered an unfair and unlawful practice according to the following conventions, thereby demonstrating it is not considered an international norm and is universally represented as a deprivation of basic rights: (1) Universal Declaration of Human Rights International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). (2) Body of principles for the protection of all persons under any form of detention or imprisonment Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.~ (3) United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty. (4) United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (“The Beijing Rules”) (5) Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 (6) Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees of 1967 (7)International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (8) Convention on the Rights of the Child (9) Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment (10) International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (11) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (12) United Nations Basic Principles and Guidelines on remedies and procedures on the right of anyone deprived of their liberty to bring proceedings before a court (A/HRC/30/37)

We certainly welcome statements by Siraj Haqqani that acknowledge that International Law and Sharia Law can be compatible. #ArbitraryDetention is universally considered a banned practice under UN doctrine and international human rights law. If the IEA is serious about the #UN and engagement, these men and women held under arbitrary detention need to be released.

Senior Taliban officials have announced that they have intensified efforts to takeover Afghanistan's seat at the United Nations. afintl.com/en/202309085590