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Miles Routledge, a 23-year-old YouTuber with over 60K subscribers, has landed in a delicate situation. Also known as Lord Miles, he lives with the motto of exploring and encountering the world's most "dangerous places." However, Miles, along with two other U.K. nationals, are currently being held in Taliban custody. The YouTuber rose to prominence as a "war tourist" by narrowly escaping Afghanistan during the fall of Kabul in 2021.
He has since continued to push the boundaries, posting a video titled "I Went Shooting with the Taliban" in August 2022. The video currently has over 1.1 million views.
Why is Miles Routledge captured by Taliban?
In January 2023, Miles Routledge, along with volunteer medic Kevin Cornwell and an unidentified hotel manager in Kabul, were apprehended by officers from the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI).
While the exact reason for their arrest remains unclear, Miles Routledge's decision to return to Afghanistan after being rescued by the British Air Force during the fall of Kabul in 2021 may have played a role. It is possible that his return to the country may have alerted the Taliban, leading to their subsequent detention by the GDI.
After being detained since January, Miles Routledge was arrested on March 2 along with two Polish nationals – Adrian Wojcik, aged 22, and Roman Bilski, aged 24. According to a senior European diplomatic source, they are being held for further questioning by the Taliban.
Have officials said anything about his arrest?
According to Scott Richards, a negotiator working for the British humanitarian NGO, the Presidium Network, there has been no significant communication with the detained individuals. However, Richards stated that he believes the men are safe. He said (transcript taken from Sky News):
“We do believe they are in good health and being well treated. We have no reason to believe they've been subject to sort of any negative treatment, such as torture. And we're told that they are as good as can be expected in such circumstances."
Additionally, a representative for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office said (transcript taken from Reuters):
"“We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.”
Lord Miles, the YouTuber, has also authored a book titled "Lord Miles in Afghanistan," which was published by Antelope Hill Publishing. However, the publishing agency has come under scrutiny due to its purported links to neo-fascist and white nationalist movements, and an investigation is currently underway.
Apart from his visit to Afghanistan, the YouTuber has gained notoriety for posting videos of his visits to other unconventional places. These include Snake Island, situated off the coast of Brazil (which is banned). He also tried sneaking into the United States from Mexico and pretending to be homeless in New York.
