Taliban detains three journalists in Afghanistan, UN calls for media protection

KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has detained at least three journalists on unspecified charges, the United Nations mission in the country said on Thursday while calling for the protection of media workers.

According to media and rights groups, those detained include the head of the Kabul-based Paigard News Agency and two staff members from TOLOnews, Afghanistan’s first 24-hour news channel.

In a statement, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) urged Afghan authorities to respect international obligations regarding press freedom.

“UNAMA urges the authorities to uphold their obligations under international human rights law and ensure that journalists can do their work without fear of intimidation, harassment, or reprisal,” the mission said.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture confirmed the detention of the two TOLOnews journalists, saying their cases were under investigation, though it did not specify the charges against them.

TOLOnews identified the detained journalists as Imran Danish and Mansoor Niazi, adding that security officials had said further details would be shared after legal procedures were completed.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Media Support Organisation said that Ahmad Jawed Niazi was arrested late last week at his office in Kabul by Taliban intelligence personnel.

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Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Afghanistan’s media landscape has sharply deteriorated. According to Reporters Without Borders, more than 40% of media outlets in the country shut down within three months of the Taliban takeover.

Women have also been barred from most journalism roles under Taliban restrictions.

Rights groups say Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, amid growing concerns over censorship, arbitrary detentions and restrictions on freedom of expression.