ISAF frees Al Jazeera cameramen

Nato-led security forces in Afghanistan release cameramen and a colleague they had detained earlier this week.

Two Al Jazeera cameramen who were arrested in southern Afghanistan earlier this week by the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) have been freed.

There had been increasing pressure on Isaf from journalists in Afghanistan and beyond, as well as from the Afghan government, to release Mohamed Nader Jumaa and Rahmatullah Nekzad, who were set free on Friday. 

Hojatullah Mujadadi, a radio station manager in Kapisa and colleague of the two cameramen, who was detained by the Afghan intelligence service, was also released.

"I'm free," Jumaa said as he left Kandahar airfield, the largest Nato base in southern Afghanistan. "They said I can go, 'you're free'."

Jumaa was arrested early on Wednesday in Kandahar by Isaf, which said it had "captured a suspected Taliban media and propaganda facilitator, who participated in filming election attacks".

He said he was questioned by US investigators during the three days of his arrest.

Al Jazeera condemnation

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Al Jazeera said the arrests were "an attempt by the Isaf leadership to suppress its comprehensive coverage of the Afghan war".

After being urged to intervene on behalf of the detained reporters, Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, instructed the information and culture ministry on Thursday to follow up on the detentions and work for the quick release of the jailed journalists.

The same day, nearly two dozen journalists rallied at the provincial governor's compound in Kandahar to express outrage over the arrests.