A French journalist arrested and accused of spying by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban has said that he was aware of the risks when entering the country illegally.
But Mr Michel Peyrard, who works for Paris Matchmagazine, told a BBC reporter that he had intended to apply to the Taliban for permission to work there once he reached the eastern city of Jalalabad.
A Pakistani newspaper, meanwhile quoted a Taliban official as saying that Mr Peyrard, who faces charges that can carry the death penalty, would not be shown the same leniency as British reporter, Ms Yvonne Ridley, freed by the Taliban on October 8th.
"I knew perfectly the risk of being arrested, that the probability was high," Peyrard said, adding that he had been treated well.
Mr Peyrard (44) was arrested on October 9th near Jalalabad after entering the country disguised in a woman's burqa. He was charged with spying, an offence punishable by death.
He said he had chosen to use a disguise because he felt it was the only way he could cover the story properly. "I applied for a visa many times. You know I am covering this kind of crisis for many years - in Bosnia, in Kosovo, in Chechenya," he said.
"I didn't plan to hide when I got to Jalalabad. I intended to work, to try to get in touch with the Taliban authorities and to try to get an official permit," he added.
A BBC journalist conducted the interview during a Taliban-organised trip to Jalalabad. Mr Peyrard is being held with two Pakistani journalist who were arrested with him.
Pakistani newspaper, The News, said one of its reporters also met Mr Peyrard in detention Jalalabad. It quoted Mullah Taj Meer, Taliban intelligence chief for Nangarhar province saying that "machines and documents from Michel Peyrard" were seized and that they showed the journalist may be a spy.
"We won't show leniency in this case as we did earlier while releasing British female journalist Yvonne Ridley on compassionate grounds," he added.
The two Pakistani journalists, Mr Irfan Qureshi and Mr Mukarram Khan, who had accompanied Mr Peyrard, had also been charged with spying and were being held in the same complex, The Newssaid.