The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called upon Taliban authorities for the immediate and unconditional release of journalist Mohammed Ibrahim Mohtaj on Monday. Mohtaj is the third journalist to be arrested in Kandahar, Afghanistan in the past month as the Taliban authorities intensify their crackdown on local media workers and journalists.
Mohtaj, a radio presenter for Kandahar radio station Millat Zagh, was reportedly detained by Taliban agents of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV) while leaving his office on July 27. According to Afghanistan International, his family has not received any information regarding his detention.
CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi stated: “Taliban officials must immediately release Mohammed Ibrahim Mohtaj and stop arbitrary detentions of journalists and media workers … Afghanistan’s notorious morality police must not exacerbate a media crackdown that has been a hallmark of Taliban rule or heighten fears among Afghan journalists.”
Journalism in Afghanistan has faced increasing challenges under Taliban rule. Local media workers and journalists have reported an inability to broadcast or publish without Taliban approval. The Afghanistan Journalists Centre recorded 60 reported threats against journalists and 29 reported arrests of journalists since the Taliban took power in 2021. Culture journalist Sayed Rahim Saeedi was also detained by Taliban agents for unknown reasons.
An annual report published this month by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan indicates that the expanding role of the MPVPV in public life, including media oversight, has contributed to an increased climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans. The report noted that the encroachments on human rights under Taliban rule have been disproportionately felt by women. Additionally, while the MPVPV has attempted to increase the discipline of its personnel, these efforts have been hindered by a lack of accountability.
For further details, you can read the full article on JURIST.