RASC News Agency: The Organization for the Protection of Afghanistani Civil Society and Journalists in Exile has strongly condemned the recent arrest of four Afghanistani journalists by the Taliban, calling it a blatant violation of press freedom and a continuation of the group’s systematic campaign to silence independent voices. In a statement released on Monday, May 12, the organization expressed deep concern over the escalating repression against media professionals across Afghanistan. According to the statement, three journalists were arrested in Takhar province, while a fourth was detained in Ghazni, all by Taliban intelligence operatives. The group emphasized that these arrests are not isolated incidents but part of an orchestrated effort by the Taliban to crush dissent and eliminate accountability.
“The freedom of expression is a fundamental human right enshrined in both international law and the conscience of every democratic society,” the statement asserted. “The Taliban’s ongoing persecution of journalists reflects their fear of truth and their inability to tolerate any form of scrutiny.” Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have unleashed a relentless assault on Afghanistan’s once-vibrant media landscape. Over 200 media outlets have been shut down, thousands of journalists forced into exile, and those who remain face constant surveillance, threats, and arbitrary detention. The few remaining independent reporters work in an atmosphere of pervasive fear, with no legal protection or institutional support.
Journalists arrested by the Taliban are often held without charge, subjected to physical abuse, and denied access to legal counsel or family contact. Their detentions are routinely justified under vague accusations such as “espionage,” “spreading anti-Islamic content,” or “undermining national security” terms the Taliban exploit to target anyone reporting on human rights abuses, corruption, or internal dissent within the regime. The Organization for the Protection of Afghanistani Civil Society and Journalists in Exile has called upon international media watchdogs, human rights organizations, and democratic governments to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained journalists in Afghanistan. The group warned that continued inaction by the global community will embolden the Taliban further, allowing them to deepen their repression with impunity.
“The Taliban are not merely silencing individual journalists; they are dismantling the very architecture of accountability in Afghanistan,” the statement concluded. “Without a free press, the world loses its window into the suffering, resistance, and resilience of the Afghanistani people.” As Afghanistan sinks deeper into authoritarian rule, the fate of its journalists has become a stark indicator of the broader collapse of civil liberties. The international community now faces a defining test: will it stand in solidarity with the defenders of truth or allow a brutal regime to erase them from the public record?
