'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Charlotte Bellis, a pregnant journalist from New Zealand, recently took help from the Taliban after being stranded in Afghanistan due to stringent COVID-19 restrictions in her homeland.
The reporter opened up about her experience in an opinion piece published in The New Zealand Herald on January 28, 2022:
“When the Taliban offers you — a pregnant, unmarried woman — safe haven, you know your situation is messed up.”
The journalist realized she was expecting a child with her partner in September 2021 after returning to Qatar from Afghanistan following an assignment in Kabul. As pregnancy outside of marriage is considered to be illegal in Qatar, Bellis went to stay in her partner’s hometown in Belgium.
However, she wanted to welcome her child in her own birthplace and started applying for New Zealand’s MIQ (Managed Isolation and Quarantine) lottery. Despite several attempts, she remained unsuccessful in getting a spot to return to her country.
Meanwhile, her stay in Belgium could not be extended beyond a certain point for her lack of citizenship and hence, she ended up going back to Afghanistan. Bellis revealed she contacted a Taliban official and explained her situation to the person.
Although pregnancy without marriage is often considered to be a taboo in their society, Bellis was granted permission to stay in the country. She also wrote about the response she received from the officer at the time:
“Yes, yes we respect you both and you are foreigners, that is up to you… Just tell people you’re married and if it escalates, call us. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
Charlotte Bellis further claimed that her request for emergency MIQ was also rejected in New Zealand. The situation left many disappointed and created a stir on social media.
The journalist mentioned that her application was finally sent “under review” following the online buzz and discussion among prominent circles.
Everything to know about Charlotte Bellis
Charlotte Bellis is a journalist from New Zealand, best known for her work in Afghanistan as the former reporter of Al Jazeera. She was born in Christchurch to a farmer father and stay-at-home mother.
According to a feature published in Denizen’s Summer Issue in November 2021, Bellis was mute as a child and only spoke to others through her doll named Molly. She studied at Selwyn House School and had to take speech and drama classes until she was 18.
Bellis reportedly started taking an interest in global politics and conflict after moving to the U.S. during high school. She said that she had always wanted to be a journalist, but the 9/11 attack sowed the seed of passion for pursuing international news within her during her 20s.
The media personality went on to earn a degree in journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia and returned to New Zealand after graduating in 2009. Bellis began her career in journalism as a TV reporter in Christchurch.
She started hosting Prime News and 60 Minutes in New Zealand but was laid off from her duties in 2014. Bellis moved to New York at the age of 27 and explored a career in freelancing. She also worked with ABC World News before joining Al Jazeera in 2017.
The journalist initially moved to London to work with Al Jazeera and the BBC. Following her commendable coverage of the London Bridge Attack, Bellis received a promotion at Al Jazeera and started working at their Doha office.
Charlotte Bellis was stationed in Kabul in July 2021 and covered the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last year. The reporter was one of only three women present at the first press conference of the Taliban in Kabul.
She garnered international attention after asking the Taliban about their opinion on women’s rights. Bellis was then granted permission to conduct a personal interview with Taliban leader and Cultural Commission member Abdul Qahar Balkhi.
During an interview with Radio New Zealand in August 2021, Bellis mentioned she would stay in Afghanistan as long as possible, but it was reported that she left the country in October 2021. However, that same month she was seen reporting from Kabul once again.
Bellis resigned from Al Jazeera in November 2021 after spending nearly five years in the network and currently calls herself an “independent journalist with a focus on Afghanistan.”
