UN says two staff members detained in Afghanistan have been freed

Jerusalem Post/Middle EastThe two Afghan staff members of the UN's Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) were detained in the western city of Herat on August 9, following a string of detentions by Taliban authorities. Follow us on GoogleTaliban members are seen from a window as they inspect inside a prison cell at Pul-e-Charkhi prison, located on the outskirts of Kabul on October 17, 2021.(photo credit: WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)ByREUTERSAUGUST 20, 2026 20:57Two UN staff members detained by authorities in Afghanistan were released on Thursday in good health, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a press briefing.The two Afghan staff members of the UN's Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) were detained in the western city of Herat on August 9, following a string of detentions by Taliban authorities. Dujarric said the circumstances of the staffers' detention and what they had been accused of "remains very unclear, and we're trying to get more details.""We're just delighted that they've been released, they're in good health, and they face apparently no more judicial legal issues," he said.An Afghan Taliban fighter sit next to an anti-aircraft gun near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Afghanistan, October 15, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)Taliban frequently criticizes UNAMAAs the UN's political mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA is involved in human rights monitoring and data gathering. The Taliban have frequently criticized its reports.The detentions became public days before the Taliban celebrated the fifth anniversary of their return to power.Follow us on Google