Afghan Journalists Center Demands Immediate Release of Imprisoned Reporters
The Afghanistan Journalists Center, welcoming the release of Javed Niazi, the owner of Peygard news agency, has called on the Taliban administration to unconditionally free all imprisoned journalists and media staff and to ensure a safe and free working environment for the media.
On Tuesday, 16 Saratan (July 7), the center issued a statement emphasizing that Mr. Niazi’s fundamental rights, especially his freedom to carry out journalistic activities and his right to fair trial, had been violated. According to the center, his detention should never have occurred in the first place and was without any legal justification.
The statement added that, so far, details regarding the charges against this journalist and the circumstances of his acquittal remain unclear, and the Taliban administration has not provided any clarification on the matter. The lack of transparency in the arrest and release processes of journalists has increased concerns about freedom of expression and media safety.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center condemned the 63-day detention of Javed Niazi by the Taliban’s intelligence services as a blatant violation of his human and professional rights; he had been arrested on May 6, 2023.
According to the center, at least six other journalists and media workers currently remain imprisoned by the Taliban’s intelligence services. The center emphasized that the continued detention of journalists and the creation of an atmosphere of threats and pressure contradict the accepted principles of media freedom and must end without delay.
