UN demands answers after Taliban detains three journalists

Taliban Detains Three Journalists in Afghanistan, UN Says

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan on Thursday expressed “serious concern” over the detention of at least three journalists by Taliban authorities on unspecified charges, calling for clarity on the legal basis for the arrests and urging due process protections for the detained reporters.apnews

The detentions mark the latest crackdown on press freedom in Afghanistan, where media workers have faced growing restrictions since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The arrests drew swift condemnation from international press freedom organizations and raised fresh alarm about the safety of journalists operating in the country.

Who Was Detained

The three journalists are Mansoor Niazi, a news presenter and political program host at TOLOnews, Afghanistan’s first 24-hour news channel; Imran Danish, a presenter and head of the outlet’s political section; and Ahmad Jawed Niazi, head of the Kabul-based Paigard News Agency.internazionale

According to Afghanistan International, Mansoor Niazi was detained by Taliban intelligence officers on May 7 in Kabul’s Karte Char area, while Imran Danish was arrested on the following Saturday evening near the TOLOnews office in the Wazir Akbar Khan district. Jawed Niazi was taken into custody on May 6 at his Kabul office by Taliban intelligence forces, according to the Afghanistan Media Support Organization.afintl

The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture confirmed the detention of the two TOLOnews journalists on Tuesday, saying their cases were “under investigation,” but provided no specific reasons for the arrests. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Taliban agents also raided the TOLOnews office and its parent company, Moby Group, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the journalists.apnews

International Reaction

UNAMA said in its statement that it was also alarmed by “reports of violence against journalists and the seizure of property during search operations conducted by the de facto authorities”. The mission called on the Taliban to ensure fair legal procedures in accordance with international human rights standards.kabulnow

The Afghanistan Journalists Center, a press freedom advocacy group, confirmed the detention of Jawed Niazi and called for accountability. TOLOnews said security officials had indicated that more information on the cases would be provided once legal procedures were completed, though no timeline was given.apnews

Shrinking Press Freedom

Afghanistan has seen a sharp decline in media freedom since the Taliban takeover. Hundreds of media outlets have closed and thousands of journalists have left the country or abandoned the profession. The latest detentions underscore what press freedom groups describe as an intensifying campaign against independent reporting in the country.cpj