The family of a British charity medic detained by the Taliban and locked up in the basement of a secret prison for four months has issued a desperate plea for help.
Kevin Cornwell, 53, has been held by the Taliban’s intelligence agency since January 11 when he was arrested at his hotel in Kabul. He is accused of having an illegal handgun in the safe in his room, but his family say he had been granted a licence and his detention is due to a ‘misunderstanding’.
A family spokesperson said: "Imagine yourself, as a family, as a wife and mother, a son or a daughter, and your husband is held in a country across the other side of the world by a foreign intelligence service. This man, who is the heart of our family, might die from the absence of medical treatment – not because he committed a crime, but because he cared for people."
Kevin, a married father from Middlesbrough, was working in Afghanistan for Iqarus. Iqarus is a non-profit medical agency that works on United Nations missions to provide free healthcare to people in conflict zones.
He has now been held without charge for 105 days along with a second UK national who manages the hotel in the Afghan capital. He has not been named at the request of his family.
Also being held in a separate facility is Miles Routledge, 24, from Birmingham. The UK Government says it is actively pursuing negotiations with the Taliban to secure their release and will do ‘whatever it takes to ensure that they're safe’. But with each day that passes, Kevin’s family – who live on the Fylde Coast – are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare.
The family said: "There are no words to express the full extent and impact Kevin's detention has had on all of us. His only crime is helping those who cannot help themselves. He is a man who values honour and integrity in everything he undertakes in life.
"For the first six weeks following this devastating news, Kevin's whereabouts were withheld, as was the reason for his detainment. We didn’t even know if Kevin was still alive. Devastation, fear, and anxiety gripped us. We remained frozen in time as the world continued to move forward."
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In the 15 weeks since Kevin’s arrest, the Taliban’s General Directive Intelligence (GDI) Service has allowed him just two brief phone calls with his wife and children. In addition to the family phone call, the Taliban have permitted Kevin to make one other phone call to the British Embassy in Doha, Qatar.
The call was scripted and Kevin has had no further access to consular support or legal representation. In his emotional call home, the 53-year-old raised concerns over his failing health.
He suffers from chronic kidney issues and requires urgent hospital treatment. He has missed hospital appointments in the UK due to his ongoing detention and his condition is now described as ‘life-threatening’.
His family fear they are running out of time. But there is hope. Kevin and his family are being supported by Scott Richards from the Presidium Network – a non-profit group which provides support to vulnerable and displaced people in conflict zones. Mr Richards continues to negotiate with the Taliban on Kevin’s behalf while lobbying the UK Government to advance its own efforts to secure his release.
He said: “We are no longer in a position where we have the allowance of time for extended deliberations on the release of the detainees, Kevin’s health necessitates it. If Kevin were to die in GDI custody, the ramifications for the Taliban would be broad.
"The evidence clearly indicates that the situation is a misunderstanding and there is now a risk of fatality due to the inability to provide medical care, which is of extreme concern. The health of a true humanitarian is endangered and urgency has become a necessity.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the UK government is "in negotiations" over the release of Kevin and two other Britons.
She told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday: "If there are risks to people's safety, if they're a British citizen abroad, then the UK government is going to do whatever it takes to ensure that they're safe. The Government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure people's safety is upheld."
