Taliban Frees Austrian Far-Right Activist with Qatar’s Mediation

The release of Herbert Fritz, an 84-year-old Austrian far-right activist detained in Afghanistan last May, has been confirmed by Al Jazeera. According to the report, the Austrian government officially announced Fritz’s release on Sunday, disclosing that he had safely arrived in Doha, Qatar, earlier that day. Qatar’s government played a crucial role in mediating his release.

Fritz was apprehended after disregarding Austria’s advisory against traveling to Afghanistan, which had come under Taliban control in 2021. Expressing a desire to revisit Afghanistan, Fritz remarked, “I think it was bad luck but I want to visit again.” Regarding his captors, he commented, “There were some nice people but there were some foolish people also, I’m sorry,” as cited by Al Jazeera.

Before his arrest, Fritz gained attention for visiting Afghanistan and positively portraying the living conditions there in an article titled “Vacations with the Taliban,” published through a far-right media outlet. The Taliban detained him on suspicion of espionage, garnering attention among Austrian neo-Nazis through Telegram channels.

Austria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from Qatar and the European Union representation in Kabul, had been diligently working to secure Fritz’s release since May. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed gratitude to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his team for their assistance in bringing Fritz back home.

Herbert Fritz, reportedly a founding member of Austria’s National Democratic Party (NDP), an extreme right group banned in 1988, was said to be researching a book in Afghanistan, according to the far-right Freedom Party of Austria. This party, leading in opinion polls ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, had been advocating for Fritz’s release.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the “caretaker government in Afghanistan” for facilitating Fritz’s release, emphasizing Qatar’s commitment to international partnership and diplomacy for peaceful conflict resolution.