RASC News Agency: In response to reports of Afghanistani journalist Mahdi Ansari being sentenced to 1.5 years in prison by the Taliban’s primary court, the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization has issued a strong condemnation. In a statement released on Wednesday, January 8, the organization described Ansari’s detention and the charges against him as unlawful and a blatant violation of press freedom and freedom of expression. The organization warned that actions such as the imprisonment of Mahdi Ansari and other journalists pose a severe threat to freedom of the press and represent an alarming development for the nation’s media landscape. The statement declared: “The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization remains resolute in defending the rights of Afghanistani journalists and will collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to safeguard freedom of expression, human rights, and the independence of the press.”
According to an official document shared with media outlets today, the Taliban’s primary court issued its verdict against Ansari a week ago. The court in Kabul sentenced him to 1.5 years in prison, accusing him of engaging in “propaganda” against the Taliban. The document states, “The individual confessed to his alleged crime of propaganda against the Taliban, and the 1.5-year prison sentence has been formally implemented.” Ansari, who worked as a reporter for a prominent news agency, was detained on October 8 in the Pul-e-Khoshk area of Dasht-e-Barchi, Kabul, by the Taliban’s intelligence forces.
This case underscores the Taliban’s relentless crackdown on dissent. Over the past three years, the Taliban have systematically arrested, tortured, imprisoned, and, in numerous instances, executed thousands of Afghanistani citizens on a range of accusations. The imprisonment of journalists like Ansari highlights the group’s sustained assault on fundamental freedoms, including the right to free expression and an independent press.
