The Taliban are holding three Britons in Afghanistan, said Precidium, a British NGO that said it was "working closely" with two families of detainees.
They include British citizen Miles Routledge, nicknamed the "dangerous tourist", who returned to Afghanistan after being evacuated by the British armed forces less than two years ago, a YouTube influencer, Kevin Cornell, a volunteer paramedic for a charity organization, and an unnamed hotel manager for aid workers in Kabul.
Two of the detainees are believed to have been held by the Taliban since January, while it is not known how long the third has been held.
For its part, the British Foreign Office said in a statement: "We are working to establish consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and supporting their families."
Precidium member Scott Richards told the BBC and Sky News: "We think they are healthy and treated well.
On Twitter, Presidium urged the Taliban to "pay attention to what we believe is a misunderstanding, and release these men."
We just completed a piece on live television for Sky News where we reiterate the importance of rule of law and transparency in hearings. And asked the Taliban to considerate of what we believe is a misunderstanding and release these men.
— Presidium Network (@PresidiumNet) April 1, 2023
Last year, the Taliban released well-known TV journalist Peter Juvenal and 4 other Britons held for 6 months, at which time Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused the British of "carrying out activities contrary to the laws of the country and the traditions of the Afghan people."
The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and have since sparked international outrage over their policies, particularly towards women and girls.