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Al Jazeera demands Afghan release Al-Jazeera Afghan staff set free
(about 3 hours later)
The Arabic Al Jazeera television channel has called for the release of two of its journalists who have been arrested by Afghan intelligence agents. Two journalists for the Arabic TV network al-Jazeera have been freed two three days after being arrested by Afghan intelligence agents.
The broadcaster says it has not been able to contact Qais Azimy and Hameedullah Shah since they were detained on Sunday. The broadcaster had not been able to contact Qais Azimy and Hameedullah Shah since they were detained on Sunday.
The pair are Afghan producers who work for its English and Arabic channels. But al-Jazeera now says the two men - Afghan producers for its English and Arabic channels - have been freed.
Al Jazeera say they are being held without charge and no information exists as to why they were arrested. They were held after airing a report from northern Afghanistan which showed Mr Azimy meeting Taliban fighters.
Their detention follows the broadcast of a report produced by Mr Azimy on 11 June in Kunduz province, close to the border with Tajikistan, in which he met Taliban fighters. In the report, produced by Mr Azimy, was broadcast on 11 June. It showed him in Kunduz province, close to the border with Tajikistan, where which he met Taliban fighters.
Al-Jazeera say the men were being held without charge and no information exists as to why they were arrested.
A BBC correspondent in Kabul says the arrests were widely publicised, and was a major story as President Hamid Karzai returned to Afghanistana after an official visit to Russia.
'Fake material''Fake material'
"We don't know what they are charged with. We don't know when they might be released. We know absolutely nothing," Al Jazeera's Kabul correspondent David Chater said. "We don't know what they are charged with. We don't know when they might be released. We know absolutely nothing," al-Jazeera's Kabul correspondent David Chater said before their release.
"Intelligence forces that are holding our two producers... accuse us of producing something that is unbalanced, with no government representative."Intelligence forces that are holding our two producers... accuse us of producing something that is unbalanced, with no government representative.
"That is clearly untrue... They also accuse us of shooting essentially what is fake material, staged action from the Taliban... We did not.""That is clearly untrue... They also accuse us of shooting essentially what is fake material, staged action from the Taliban... We did not."
Al Jazeera say that Afghan authorities have asked for a copy of a television report the pair made two days before their detention. Al-Jazeera said that Afghan authorities asked for a copy of a TV report the pair made two days before their detention.
Mr Chater insisted that the Al Jazeera report was not biased and that the journalists interviewed the commander of the German Nato forces in Kunduz to ensure it was balanced. Mr Chater insisted that the al-Jazeera report was not biased and that the journalists interviewed the commander of the German Nato forces in Kunduz to ensure it was balanced.
"It would appear that we are suffering from the fact that we are delivering an uncomfortable and unpalatable truth in our messages," he said."It would appear that we are suffering from the fact that we are delivering an uncomfortable and unpalatable truth in our messages," he said.
"So that means, once again, that somebody, somewhere in Kabul and in the government is trying to shoot the messenger.""So that means, once again, that somebody, somewhere in Kabul and in the government is trying to shoot the messenger."
The television channel says that it in addition to lobbying the government, it has also approached the UN and Nato forces in Afghanistan to see if they can help secure the release of the pair. The TV channel says that it in addition to lobbying the government, it has also approached the UN and Nato forces in Afghanistan to see if they can help secure the release of the pair.