Taliban’s Former MoI Spokesperson Labels Media As An Enemy

Saeed Khosty, the former spokesman of the Taliban's Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, referred to the media as the “enemy” and stated that they are engaged in a “media war” against the government of this group.

Khosty raised the issue in his speech at a conference.

He shared a part of his speech on X social media platform on Friday, in which he mentioned that the media consistently reports on the Taliban's ban on girls' education and characterises its government as non-inclusive and oppressive.

While the former Taliban spokesperson did not specify any particular media outlet, he stated that the “enemy” consistently reaches out to individuals.

Following the takeover of power in August 2021, the Taliban imposed severe restrictions on the media. Consequently, hundreds of print, audio, and video media outlets were forced to cease operations due to the group's pressure, resulting in thousands of journalists fleeing abroad.

This former Taliban official had previously threatened to kill Taliban opponents abroad.

Khosty tweeted that he would "kill" fugitives and those who preach against the Taliban.

When Khosty served as the spokesperson for Sirajuddin Haqqani in the Taliban's Ministry of Interior, he had been surrounded by accusations of sexually assaulting a medical university student and subsequently compelling her into marriage.

Elaha Delawarzai was detained after the accusation and spent six months in prison. After her release, she claimed that during her detention, the agents of the Taliban's intelligence interrogated and tortured her.

Khosty has repeatedly denied the allegations of sexual assault and torture of Delawarzai.