INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The government of France on Friday welcomed the release of Afghan-French journalist Mortaza Behboudi, who had been detained in Afghanistan
since January 7.French Foreign Ministry in a statement said that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) held Behboudi in custody for 284
days.&From day one of his imprisonment, France monitored Mortaza Behboudi&s situation very closely
Through our delegation in Doha, the French authorities continuously lobbied the Taliban (IEA) to release him
Working with our partners in Kabul, including the EU and the UN, which have delegations in Afghanistan, France made repeated efforts to gain
the release of our fellow citizen,& the statement said.&Our compatriot&s release is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to press
freedom and unhampered reporting worldwide,& it added.The post France welcomes release of journalist Mortaza Behboudi in Afghanistan first
