Afghanistan's ruling Taliban today returned the passports and rejected new visas for three Western diplomats in Kabul seeking to see eight foreign aid workers accused of promoting Christianity, the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) said.
"This afternoon we returned the passports to all three", AIP quoted a Taliban foreign ministry spokesman as saying.
"Tomorrow we will see them off with full protocol."
The diplomats from Australia, Germany and the United States have spent a frustrating week in Kabul in futile bids to access four Germans, two Americans and two Australians detained more than two weeks ago with 16 Afghan colleagues.
AIP reported that the spokesman said he hoped the diplomats would not overstay their current one-week visas, which expire tomorrow.