Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said in a report on Tuesday that the Taliban forces have detained one of its photojournalists in Afghanistan without any clear explanation.
It identified the photojournalist as Mohammad-Hossein Velayati, saying he was arrested at Kabul International Airport on Saturday following his 10-day personal trip in Afghanistan, as he was returning to Iran.
The report said the photojournalist had entered Afghanistan completely legally through the air border, adding despite the follow-ups, the Taliban have not provided any explanation for the detention.
Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's special representative for Afghanistan, told Tasnim on Tuesday that the issue is being pursued seriously.
He noted that he has already held talks with the Iranian mission in Kabul about the issue and the efforts of the officials there will hopefully produce results soon.
Also on Tuesday, Iranian lawmaker Ali Khezrian said the legislative body will seriously follow up on the Iranian photojournalist's release from the Taliban.
He called on the Iranian Foreign Ministry officials to begin talks with Afghanistan's caretaker Taliban government to resolve the issue.
On Aug. 8, 1998, during the Afghan civil war, an Iranian journalist and eight diplomats from the country were killed in an attack on the Iranian consulate general in Mazar-i-Sharif after the Taliban entered the city.
After the attack, Iran blamed the Taliban for the killing, but the Taliban denied responsibility, saying the Iranians were killed by "renegade forces" who had acted without orders.
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