November 4, 2001	Sunday	Shaba’an 17, 1422

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PESHAWAR, Nov 3: The Taliban authorities released a French journalist on Saturday arrested on charges of espionage in Jalalabad on October 19.

The Islamabad-based French ambassador Mr Yannik Gerard received the journalist Michel Peyrard, who works for a Paris-based weekly magazine, at Torkham checkpoint, the Pak-Afghan border at 6.25pm. Pakistani officials were also present on the occasion.

The Taliban authorities arrested Mr Peyrard and his two Pakistani aids in Gushta, some 19km north of Jalalabad, the capital of the eastern Nangarhar province.

The journalist entered Afghanistan in clad in the traditional Burqa (veil) without obtaining visa. After his arrest the Taliban made him sit on a horseback and paraded him in the city streets. The officials also recovered a satellite phone from his possession.

The Taliban officials in a statement said that the journalist was thoroughly interrogated but charges of spying could not be proved against him.