Japan's Kyodo News Reporter Arrested in Kabul

Japan's Kyodo News Reporter Arrested in Kabul

KABUL, January 21, 2024 - Ehsan Akbari, a local reporter for Japan's Kyodo news agency, has been detained by Taliban intelligence in Kabul. The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) strongly condemns the arrest of this journalist and demands his immediate and unconditional release. Additionally, AFJC calls on the Intelligence Directorate to respect the country's media laws and cease the suppression of journalists and free media.

According to a member of Ehsan Akbari's family, he was arrested on Wednesday, January 17 in Kabul. Sayed Amir Akbari, Ehsan's brother, stated, "On Wednesday, Ehsan was summoned to the Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) and subsequently arrested. The following morning, members of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) took Ehsan to the Kyodo news agency office in Kabul's Share-Naw area, seized his laptop computer and camera, and forced him to call his family and hand over his smartphone to the intelligence officers. They proceeded to retrieve the phone from his residence."

Sayed Amir Akbari further expressed concern over the lack of updates regarding Ehsan Akbari's condition for the past four days and the absence of any response from the authorities. This marks the third incident of journalist arrests reported within the past week. Ahmad Jawad Rasooli and Abdulhaq Hamidi, journalists from Gardesh-e-Etilaat News Agency, were detained by the GDI in Kabul on January 18 but were subsequently released on January 20 after posting bail.

The GDI typically adheres to a policy of neither confirming nor denying the arrest or investigation of journalists. In addition, no comments have been made by the Taliban government spokesperson, or the Ministry of Information and Culture, regarding this issue.

Ehsan Akbari has held the position of reporter at the Kyodo news agency in Kabul for approximately one year.

Expressing grave concern over Ehsan Akbari's arrest, AFJC urges the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) to promptly and unconditionally release this journalist. AFJC also calls on the GDI to halt the mass arrests of journalists, which have intensified fear and self-censorship within the journalism community and impede the operation of media outlets in accordance with the media law as acknowledged by the Taliban government.

Journalists are entitled to carry out their professional duties freely under the Afghanistan Media Law, and those in authority should refrain from restricting or threatening them, instead providing support.

Ehsan Akbari's arrest is in direct violation of the Media Law, which stipulates that complaints against journalists and media should be handled by the Media Complaints Commission. Regrettably, this commission has been sidelined in practice, and the GDI persistently suppresses journalists through arbitrary detentions. The intimidation and oppression of journalists and free media continue.

In 2023, AFJC documented 168 incidents involving violations of journalists' rights in the country, of which 61 were journalist and media worker arrests. Presently, two individuals remain incarcerated. Aminullah Alemi, the manager of Mumtaz Radio station in Fariab province, was sentenced to one year in prison in August on grounds of what local officials deemed a "non-media and personal issue." Sultan Ali Jawadi, the manager of Nasim Radio in Daikundi province, was arrested multiple times by the GDI and subsequently sentenced to one year in prison on December 11, 2023.

 


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