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April 18, 2025 – Afghanistan –
On April 14, 2025, freelance journalist Sayed Rashed Kashefi was detained by agents of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) in Kabul. The arrest occurred after Kashefi was summoned under the pretense of retrieving his previously confiscated equipment, including his mobile phone, camera, and voice recorder, which had been seized in mid-March during an investigation into his alleged collaboration with exiled media outlets.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has expressed grave concern over Kashefi’s detention, emphasizing that such actions violate Afghanistan’s media laws and international standards for press freedom. AFJC has called for his immediate and unconditional release, highlighting that at least nine other journalists and media workers are currently detained or serving prison sentences in Afghanistan, with terms ranging from seven months to three years.
Kashefi’s detention is not an isolated incident; he was previously arrested in December 2021 while covering an aid distribution event in Kabul, during which he reported being beaten and detained for over six hours. This pattern of targeting journalists underscores the increasing risks faced by media professionals in Afghanistan.IFJ
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also condemned Kashefi’s detention, urging the Taliban to release him immediately and unconditionally. CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi stated, “The continued detention of journalists like Kashefi is part of a ruthless campaign to silence independent reporting and intimidate the media into submission. This blatant assault on press freedom must end now.”
Kashefi’s case exemplifies the broader challenges to press freedom in Afghanistan, where journalists operate under the constant threat of arbitrary detention and harassment. International organizations and press freedom advocates continue to call for the protection of journalists and the upholding of media rights in the country.
Reference –
Taliban intelligence agents detain journalist Sayed Rashed Kashefi in Kabul
