Australian, German and US diplomats met Taliban militia officials in Kabul yesterday to try to secure the early release of eight foreigners detained for allegedly preaching Christianity.
The three envoys flew from neighbouring Pakistan hoping to visit the detainees, but were told to wait until investigations were finished, Taliban officials said.
"We requested access and they took our request into consideration and will take that to the higher authorities," US envoy Mr David Donahue told reporters after talks with Taliban protocol officials.
Protocol chief Mr Abdul Ghafoor Afghani said the diplomats inquired about the welfare of the two Americans, two Australians and four Germans, who have not been seen since their arrest between August 3rd and 5th.
"We gave a full guarantee of their health as we have all along," he said.
"We also showed them written confessions that these detainees had shown Christian audio-visual material to an Afghan family. They also wrote that they were not aware it would create this many problems."
Taliban Foreign Minister Mr Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel said the diplomats would not be given consular access to the detainees until investigations were complete.
"After the completion of investigations their cases will be handed over to the court, which will decide their punishment. This order is both for foreigners and nationals," he told the Afghan Islamic Press. "I cannot comment on the nature of the punishment. It is the job of the court."
The aid workers were among 24 mostly Afghan staff of the German-based group Shelter Now who were arrested for alleged proselytising in the hardline Islamic state. They have been held in two detention centres in Kabul and denied contact with the outside world. Officials refuse to explain the exact charges against them.
"We have come here to see the detainees and find a final solution to this case," said German consul Mr Helmut Landes, who came with Mr Donahue and Australian consul Mr Alastar Adams.
Mr Afghani said investigations were taking longer than expected because "many more links are being discovered".
Mr Mutawakel hinted on Sunday that the UN World Food Programme was also under suspicion as it had provided funding to Shelter Now's food projects in the war-torn country.
Taliban religious police minister Mr Mullah Mohammad Wali Akhund dismissed on Monday any hope of pardons for the aid workers and said their arrest was a victory for the Islamic world.
"It is a great victory for Muslims around the world that these things have been discovered."
He said they would be dealt with according to the militia's hardline Sharia law. Under this, anyone found preaching Christianity - an "abolished religion" - faces the death penalty, although for punishment for foreigners may be limited to a few days in prison followed by expulsion.
Germany, Australia and the US do not maintain embassies in Kabul because they refuse to recognise the fundamentalist Islamic regime in power since 1996.
The US accuses the Taliban of harbouring terrorist Osama bin Laden, and for security reasons does not normally allow its officials to enter the country.