Taliban intelligence detain journalist Sulaiman Rahil following critical Facebook posts
New York, May 12, 2025—Taliban authorities in southeastern Ghazni Province must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Sulaiman Rahil, who was detained on May 5 by intelligence agents, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. “Sulaiman Rahil is the latest of many Afghan journalists to be swept up by the notorious General Directorate of Intelligence without…
Taliban intelligence agents detain journalist Sayed Rashed Kashefi in Kabul
New York, April 18, 2025—Taliban authorities must immediately release independent journalist Sayed Rashed Kashefi, who was detained April 14 by General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) agents in the capital Kabul, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “Taliban intelligence must release journalist Sayed Rashed Kashefi immediately and unconditionally,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih…
Taliban intelligence agents detain journalists Hekmat Aryan and Mahdi Ansary
New York, October 8, 2024—Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalists Hekmat Aryan and Mahdi Ansary, who were detained by General Directorate of Intelligence agents in Afghanistan’s southern Ghazni province and the capital Kabul, respectively, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. “Taliban intelligence must release journalists Mahdi Ansary and Hekmat Aryan immediately and…
Taliban intelligence agents detain culture journalist Sayed Rahim Saeedi
New York, July 22, 2024—Afghan authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Sayed Rahim Saeedi, who was detained by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence agents in the capital Kabul on July 14, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Saeedi, an editor and producer with ANAR Media YouTube channel, was detained along with Sayed…
Taliban detains Ehsan Akbari, Afghan journalist with Japan’s Kyodo News
New York, January 22, 2024—Taliban authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Afghan journalist Ehsan Akbari and stop harassing and detaining members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On January 17, the Taliban’s Government Media Information Center (GMIC) summoned Akbari, the assistant bureau chief of Japanese media outlet Kyodo…
Two years into Taliban rule, media repression worsens in Afghanistan
When the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, they promised to protect press freedom and women’s rights – a key facet of their efforts to paint a picture of moderation compared to their oppressive rule in the late 1990s. “We are committed to the media within our cultural frameworks. Private media can continue to…
Taliban intelligence agents detain three journalists on claims they reported for exiled media
New York, August 11, 2023 — Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalists Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai, Jan Agha Saleh, and Hasib Hassas, and cease detaining members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, August 10, officials from the General Directorate of Intelligence, the Taliban’s intelligence agency,…
Journalist Mortaza Behboudi detained by Taliban since January 7
New York, February 8, 2023 – Taliban authorities must immediately release journalist Mortaza Behboudi and stop intimidating and arbitrarily detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On January 7, members of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence detained Behboudi, a reporter and cofounder of the independent news website Guiti News,…
Afghan journalist Khairullah Parhar detained by Taliban since January 9
New York, January 23, 2023 – Taliban authorities must immediately release Afghan journalist Khairullah Parhar and stop arbitrarily detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On January 9, agents with the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence detained Parhar, a reporter and chair of the Nangarhar Sports Journalists Association in Kabul,…
Crew with Indian broadcaster WION News beaten, detained by Taliban in Kabul
New York, August 9, 2022 – Taliban authorities should cease their attacks on the press and ensure that those who harass and assault journalists are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On August 4, armed Taliban members attacked and detained a team with the independent Indian broadcaster WION News, including reporter…