CPJ Calls for Immediate Release of Two Journalists From Taliban’s Custody

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of Mahdi Ansary, a reporter for the Afghan News Agency, and Hekmat Aryan, the director of the independent Khoshhal radio station, from Taliban custody.

Zabihullah Mujahid told the committee that these journalists had been working with “banned [media] networks” and had engaged in “illegal activities”.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement on Tuesday, that the two journalists were arrested by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence agents in Ghazni and Kabul and transferred to an unknown location.

“Taliban intelligence must release journalists Mahdi Ansary and Hekmat Aryan immediately and unconditionally,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “Afghan journalists face unprecedented pressure from the Taliban, who continue to get away with their ruthless crackdown without being held to account. The Taliban must end these crimes against journalists once for all.”

The international organisation supporting journalists quoted Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban government, as saying that the two journalists had cooperated with "banned (media) networks”.

The Taliban government considers a number of media outlets operating abroad to be "banned”.

Mujahid did not specify which media outlet these journalists collaborated with.

According to a statement issued by the US agency, the Taliban's intelligence forces arrested Ansary, a reporter for the Afghan News Agency, on the evening of October 5 this year when he was on his way back home in western Kabul and then, was transferred to an unknown location.

The CPJ's statement also said that the reason for his arrest is unclear, but he has always reported on the killing of Hazaras during the Taliban's rule.

The committee said that on September 29 this year, the director of the independent Khoshhal radio station, was detained by dozens of Taliban intelligence agents from his office in Ghazni city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

According to reports, Aryan’s detention is linked to an alleged discussion on Khoshhal radio about the Taliban’s past suicide operations.