Watchdogs Condemn Taliban’s Forced Confession of Afghan Journalist

October 03, 2025 – Afghanistan – 

Media freedom groups have strongly criticized the Taliban after they released a video showing imprisoned journalist Mehdi Ansari confessing to collaborating with foreign media and spreading anti-regime messages—a confession widely believed to be coerced.

Ansari, who worked for the Afghan News Agency, has been under Taliban detention since October 2024. He was sentenced by a Taliban court to 18 months behind bars for allegedly engaging in “propaganda” and working with exiled media.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) and Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) issued joint statements condemning the video, calling it a clear violation of human rights and standards of justice. They said the confession appeared to have been extracted under psychological or physical duress.

AFJC described Ansari’s trial as deeply flawed, pointing out that he was denied access to a defense lawyer and that the process lacked transparency. They also flagged serious concerns about his health while in custody.

The watchdogs see this forced confession as part of a wider pattern of media repression under the Taliban. According to their accounts, many independent journalists in Afghanistan face arbitrary arrests, censorship, and harassment—especially those reporting on issues deemed sensitive.

In their statements, the groups demanded that the Taliban immediately release Ansari and halt all actions that intimidate or silence journalists. They also urged authorities to respect fair trial norms and end practices that treat journalists as criminals for carrying out their work.

This latest incident comes amid mounting evidence of the Taliban’s tightening grip on Afghanistan’s media landscape. Since the insurgent group’s takeover in 2021, violations against press freedoms have escalated, with outlets raided, reporters detained, and stories suppressed.

In sum, the forced confession of Ansari serves as a brutal reminder of the precarious fate of journalists in Afghanistan, where speaking truth under Taliban rule can be met with coercion, imprisonment, or worse. Media advocates warn that the international community must not remain silent.

Reference – 

https://8am.media/eng/media-watchdogs-condemn-talibans-forced-confession-of-journalist/

Watchdog Condemns Taliban’s Forced Confession of Imprisoned Journalist