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CNN Sunday Morning

French Journalist Released From Taliban Jail

Aired November 04, 2001 - 08:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: A French journalist is emerging from Afghanistan with an insider's view of the Taliban's iron-fisted rule. The reporter crossed to freedom inside Pakistan last night after spending nearly four weeks jailed as a suspected spy.

CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Freedom after nearly a month in a Taliban jail. At the Pakistan border, French journalist Michel Peyrard was handed over to the French ambassador. He says he was not abused.

MICHEL PEYRARD, FRENCH JOURNALIST: I was very confident, you know. I used to work in Afghanistan. I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) so I was quite confident.

MACKINNON: Peyrard, who works for "Paris Match" magazine, was caught by the Taliban soon after entering Afghanistan dressed as an Afghan woman, fully veiled from head to toe.

PEYRARD: I was wearing a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I was with some others, some -- with one Pakistani journalist, actually. And we -- at the main check-post, 15 kilometers off Jalalabad, some Talibans wanted to -- to get into our car to go to Jalalabad, just to check the result of the last bombings -- of the bombings last night.

And one of them in the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) recognized (UNINTELLIGIBLE) he's a Pakistani journalist from the statesman (ph) -- because (UNINTELLIGIBLE) had made an interview with him 15 -- two weeks ago. And so he started to intervene, and somebody said, "Yes, but he's with somebody."

MACKINNON: Peyrard was taken to a prison in Jalalabad. The Afghan inmates reflected the Taliban's fear of its enemies inside Afghanistan.

PEYRARD: Interesting experience. But so far we were with -- with political detainees, and I had the opportunity to make some interviews with them. There are many -- many people arrested in Jalalabad. Most of all, the last -- the last few days.

MACKINNON: Why did the Taliban think he was a spy? PEYRARD: I think that the main problem was that I had a slight accent. I think that three weeks ago they organized, as you probably know, a trip for journalists in Jalalabad. And these people were using satellite phone, of course. So I think that they understood at this moment that a satellite phone is quite normal for a journalist.

MACKINNON: That revelation, plus pressure from the French government and his employer, finally brought about his release. Two Pakistani journalists and a Japanese journalist remain in Taliban custody.

Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Peshawar, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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