ToloNews TV reporter Ataullah Omar(right) and freelance reporters Wahidurahman Afghanmal and Shamsullah Omari have been detained in Kandahar on Sunday, August 13, 2023
August 13, 2023
Kandahar, Kandahar province- The Afghanistan Journalists Center(AFJC) expresses its extreme concern over the detention of three journalists by Taliban authorities in southern Kandahar province on August 13.
Sources told AFJC that Tolonews TV reporter Ataullah Omar and freelance reporters Wahidurahman Afghanmal and Shamsullah Omari have been detained in Kandahar on Sunday, August 13.
The Taliban authorities in Kandahar province have not commented on the journalists’ detentions and the circumstances leading to their arrest remain undisclosed at this time.
The detentions mark the latest moves in a broad crackdown on media in Afghanistan. On Thursday, four reporters including two reporters for the Killid radio station in eastern Nangarhar province, a reporter for Salam Watandar radio station in Northeastern Kunduz, and a reporter from ArianaNews TV in Southeastern Paktia province were detained by members of the National Directorate of Intelligence (GDI). Also, a reporter for the state-run news agency, Bakhtar was detained in Southeastern Ghazni province last week.
AFJC said: “We strongly condemn the detention of Ataullah Omar, Wahidurahman Afghanmal, and Shamsullah Omari in Kandahar province, and call on the Taliban authorities to release them and nine other journalists currently in prison and to stop arresting journalists for doing their jobs.”