A German engineer held hostage by the Taliban has appealed for help in a video broadcast seen on Afghan television.
Rudolph Blechschmidt appeared slumped over and coughing.
Speaking with apparent difficulty, he said he was a prisoner and in poor health, and urged the Afghan government and German embassy to do all they could to secure his release.
The 62-year-old was kidnapped in southern Afghanistan on 18 July, one day before a group of South Korean aid workers was also abducted.
'I'm a prisoner. My health condition is not good, I'm in a bad condition,' Mr Blechschmidt said in the video shown by Tolo television station, which was less than two minutes long.
Blechschmidt spoke in English with a strong German accent but most of what he said was not audible and was translated into Dari by the television station.
Four Afghan colleagues abducted with Blechschmidt were also shown in the video.
A second German engineer abducted in Wardag province, southwest of Kabul, suffered a heart attack soon after and was then shot dead by his captors.
The Taliban demanded, according to the channel's presenter, that Germany withdraw its 3,000 troops from Afghanistan.
