Afghan Journalist Javed Niazi Released After Nearly Two Months in Taliban Custody
The Afghanistan Media Support Organization announced that Javed Niazi, head of the ‘Paygard’ news agency, has been released from Taliban custody after nearly two months of imprisonment. The organization confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday, July 6, that Mr. Niazi was freed after serving approximately two months behind bars.
According to the organization’s information, Javed Niazi was arrested on May 6 this year following a summons to the intelligence headquarters of the Taliban administration. The organization criticized his detention as a clear violation of human rights and media freedom principles.
While welcoming the journalist’s release, the Afghanistan Media Support Organization stressed that freeing one individual is not enough to guarantee media freedom and called for the unconditional release of all imprisoned journalists. The organization further noted that Mansoor Niazi, a journalist and political program host for Tolo News, and Imran Danish, a journalist and head of the network’s political section, remain in Taliban detention.
The organization urged the Taliban administration to respect journalists’ fundamental rights, including access to legal counsel, fair trials, and job security, and to halt the detention of journalists based on their professional activities. The statement also emphasized ending threats, intimidation, and restrictions against the media, underscoring that no journalist should face imprisonment or pressure for doing their journalistic duties.
In recent years, media support organizations have repeatedly warned about increasing restrictions and arrests of journalists in Afghanistan—a trend they believe seriously undermines free information flow and citizens’ access to information.
