RASC News Agency: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says that during the past 10 days, in an unprecedented crackdown, 9 journalists in five provinces of Afghanistan have been arbitrarily and without reason arrested by the forces of the Taliban group.
Antoine Bernard, director of the protection and litigation department of this organization, says that Reporters Without Borders wants the unconditional release of all journalists who are detained by the Taliban group.
Bernard added: “The situation of media freedom in Afghanistan is completely worrying.” RSF calls on the competent authorities of the Taliban to issue an order for the immediate release of the arrested journalists and finally guarantee the freedom of the media in a real way. The [Taliban] government is fully responsible for the violation of press freedom.”
According to Bernard’s information, Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai, Jan Agha Saleh, Haseeb Hassas, Habib Sarab, Seyyed Wahdatullah Abdali, Shamsullah Omari, Wahid Rahman AfghanMal, Attaullah Omar and ParWiz Sargand were arrested by the Taliban group in the last 10 days and with the exception of Wahid Rahman Afghan Mal, all of them are in the custody of the Taliban group and their whereabouts are not known.
One of the relatives of Attaullah Omar, the detained journalist, asks the Taliban group to release him as soon as possible; He said: “He is the sole caretaker of his house. She has three children that means there is no other breadwinner in the house, only he is alone. My request is that you release her with dignity.”
At the same time, Zarif Karimi, the head of the Afghanistan Independent Media Support Organization (NAI), also confirms the arrest of 9 journalists in the last 10 days.
Karimi says: “The information that has been made public based on the statements of the officials is that their arrest is not related to their media work, while it is not possible that 9 journalists are under arrest and it is not related to their media work.”
According to Reporters Without Borders, including the Afghanistani-French journalist Mortaza Behbodhi, who was arrested on January 7 of this year, a total of 12 journalists are currently being held by the Taliban.
