Taliban 'to put journalist on trial'
The British Foreign Office was today urgently checking reports that Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban plan to put journalist Yvonne Ridley on trial for illegally entering the country.
The Taliban's deputy foreign minister Mullah Abdur Rahman Zahid was quoted as saying: ‘‘She will be tried because she broke the laws of our land and entered our country without permission.
‘‘Right now the investigation of the British journalist is under way and then her case will be sent to the courts for a trial.’’
He added that it was irrelevant whether she was a journalist.
A British Foreign Office spokeswoman said: ‘‘We are urgently checking whether it is true.’’
She added: ‘‘If it is true, we urge the courts to treat her fairly and we also continue to urge them to resolve the case as soon as possible.’’
