Voice of America Washington, DC 20237  Tel: (202) 619-2538 Fax: (202) 619-1241 E-mail: pubaff@ibb.gov

Washington, D.C., February 4, 2000—Thanks to the efforts of the VOA Dari Service, a former Kabul, Afghanistan family, Dr. and Mrs. Jan Agha Mehrpore, has been reunited.   Dr. Mehrpore was detained by the Taleban two years ago, while Mrs. Mehrpore fled the country with her five children.

Mrs. Mehrpore called the VOA Dari broadcaster Rauf Mehrpore (no relation) from St. Louis, Missouri, at the end of January to tell VOA that someone had seen her husband in Moscow.  She asked if VOA could help her locate him.  VOA broadcaster Rauf Mehrpore recorded her plea for help and broadcast it during VOA’s Dari-language program on January 30.  Three days later, someone identifying himself as Dr. Jan Agha Mehrpore called VOA from Stockholm, Sweden.  VOA gave each the other’s phone number.

The Voice of America broadcasts news and information in 53 languages to an estimated audience of 91 million people each week. VOA began broadcasting in 1942 and is part of the International Broadcasting Bureau, which became an autonomous U.S. Government civilian broadcast service on October 1, 1999, under the authority of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

Contact: George Mackenzie
Phone: 202-619-2538
E-mail: pubaff@voa.gov