Taliban demand prisoner swap for French journalists
12 April 2012
The Taliban are demanding that the French government free detainees in exchange for two journalists kidnapped in Afghanistan in December.
In a statement today, the Taliban said they submitted a list of "most ordinary detainees" to the French government, threatening that the journalists' lives would be in danger if they did not get a quick response.
The pair disappeared on December 30 with two or three Afghan employees while traveling north-east of Kabul. The French government has said it is aware of the kidnappings and is working with Nato forces to obtain the pair's release.
The French government has not identified the journalists beyond giving their first names as Stephane and Herve.
