Image: HOSHANG HASHIMI (AFP)
“Der Standard” (online) had previously reported that the Austrian is said to be a right-wing extremist named Herbert F., who has traveled to Afghanistan many times.
“Consular assistance for Austrians in need is of course only possible to a very limited extent in Afghanistan, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also explicitly points out in the context of the travel warning,” the ministry’s statement continued. “Nevertheless, since the man’s arrest became known, we have been actively trying to find a solution and are also in regular contact with the family of the person concerned in Austria.”
According to “Standard”, it is an 84-year-old former teacher from Vienna who is said to be a well-known figure in the neo-Nazi scene in Austria. Among other things, F. was a founding member of the National Democratic Party (NDP), which was dissolved in 1988 due to National Socialist activities. The Islamist Taliban rulers in Afghanistan are now accusing him of espionage. According to information from neo-Nazi channels on Telegram, a verdict can be expected within the next four weeks, the “Standard” reported. F. had presented himself in far-right online media for years as an “Afghanistan expert” and repeatedly emphasized that “holidays with the Taliban were safe.”
Source: Nachrichten
