Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The Afghanistan Journalists Center has reported the detention of two journalists in Kabul, stating that they were summoned and subsequently detained by the intelligence agency of the Taliban.
According to the center’s news release, on Thursday, Ahmed Jawad Rasouli and Abdulhaq Hamidi, the editor-in-chief and owner of the Gardesh-e-Etilaat News Agency, were summoned and detained by the intelligence office of the Taliban in Kabul.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center, citing sources close to these two journalists, has revealed that on Thursday, January 18th an anonymous caller contacted Abdulhaq, instructing him and Jawad Rasouli to report to the intelligence agency at 9 AM on Thursday. Upon arrival, they were immediately detained and subjected to interrogation.
Close associates of Abdulhaq Hamidi informed the Afghanistan Journalists Center that around 4 PM the previous day, intelligence personnel had come to his house, seized his mobile phone, and informed his wife that they had taken him into custody for their investigative purposes.
As of now, the Taliban administration and spokespersons for related agencies have not provided any information or statements regarding the detention of these journalists.
The sudden and unexplained detention of journalists in Kabul raises concerns about press freedom and the safety of media professionals in the country.
The international community and human rights organizations may closely monitor the situation and call for transparency and the release of detained journalists, emphasizing the importance of a free press in any society.
Since the return of the Taliban, media freedom and freedom of expression have been severely restricted, leading to the closure of numerous media outlets in the country. This crackdown on journalism has resulted in the loss of jobs for many journalists.
The Taliban’s imposition of these restrictions has had a detrimental impact on the media landscape, silencing voices and limiting the flow of information in Afghanistan.