Three employees of Nasim Radio in Daikundi Province Detained for the Second Time

Radio Nasim reporters Mojtaba Qasemi and Saifullah Rezaei, alongside Radio Manager Sultan Ali Jawadi, were detained by GDI in Nili, the capital of Daikundi province on October 7, 2023.

October 7, 2023

Nili, Daikundi province - The manager and two reporters of Nasim Radio in Daikundi province have been arrested once again by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI). The radio station, which had been closed for ten days, is yet to be granted permission to reopen.

According to a reliable source in Daikundi, Sultan Ali Jawadi, the manager, along with reporters Saifullah Rezaei and Mojtaba Qasemi, were apprehended by intelligence officials around 12:00 today. The specific details surrounding the incident remain unknown at this time, but it is concerning that these journalists have been detained twice within the past ten days.

On September 28, GDI members from Daikundi province raided the Radio Nasim office in Nili city. They seized the employees' working tools, including mobile phones and voice recorders, and sealed the gate. Sultan Ali Jawadi, Saifullah Rezaei, and Mojtaba Qasemi were also detained on that day. While the three were released after five hours of interrogation, their mobile phones were not returned.

The local Taliban authorities in Daikundi province have not provided any explanation for the closure of Radio Nasim and the subsequent detainment of its staff. However, a local source suggests that this action may be related to the radio station's programming, particularly its broadcast of music and content from a foreign radio network.