Taliban Frees Detained Journalists Amid Media Crackdown
In a positive development, nine journalists who had been detained in Afghanistan since August 11 have been released by the Taliban, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The journalists were facing allegations of collaborating with exiled or foreign news organizations.
The release of these journalists follows a recent increase in the detention of media professionals, coinciding with the second anniversary of the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. Since the Taliban came into power, the media landscape in the country has deteriorated significantly, with journalists facing poverty, detention, harassment, and physical assault.
Among those freed by the Taliban were Attaullah Omar, a reporter for the Afghan news channel TOLO News, Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai, the head of Afghan Killid Radio, Jan Agha Saleh, a reporter, and Hasib Hassas, a reporter for Salam Watander media organization. Mehboob Hakimi, a journalist from Zabul in southern Afghanistan and a representative of the Afghanistan National Journalists Union (ANJU), was also released.
Additionally, on September 2, Habibullah Sarab, a journalist from Paktia in eastern Afghanistan, and Parviz Sargand, a journalist from Kunar in the northeastern part of the country, were set free. However, Mortaza Behboudi, a French journalist who returned to Kabul in January 2023, remains incarcerated in an Afghan prison.
The media crackdown in Afghanistan has drawn international concern, with media organizations being systematically persecuted and the country’s mass media law being blatantly disregarded, as reported by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The deteriorating situation has prompted both the IFJ and the Afghan Independent Journalists Union (AIJU) to jointly call for the release of all media professionals who are still being held captive.
This release of detained journalists brings some relief to the media community in Afghanistan. However, it is crucial to address the broader challenges faced by journalists in the country and uphold press freedom. The international community must continue to support and advocate for the safety and well-being of journalists in Afghanistan during these challenging times.
