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Media watchdogs call for immediate release of all journalists still in custody
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) this week released nine journalists who had been in custody following a spate of arrests targeting media workers employed by different outlets.
While welcoming the move to release the nine journalists, media watchdogs have called for all journalists still in custody to be released immediately.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists Union (AIJU), have condemned the IEA’s crackdown on journalists and called for the immediate release of all media workers still in custody.
The IFJ said in a statement on Tuesday that on September 2, Paktia journalist Habibullah Sarab, and Kunar journalist Parviz Sargand were released from IEA custody. Reports indicated they had been arrested for having worked for media outlets operating in exile.
“The pair had been in detention since August 11. The day before, Zabul journalist and Afghanistan National Journalists Union (ANJU) representative Mehboob Hakimi were also released from prison,” read the statement.
AIJU said that on August 31, four media workers, including TOLONews reporter Attaullah Omar; Killid Radio head Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai and reporter Jan Agha Saleh; and Salam Watandar reporter Hasib Hassas were released after being detained on allegations of working for exiled or foreign news outlets. All of them had been held in custody for a week.
This comes after a dramatic increase in arrests by the IEA of journalists through the month of August.
On August 14, Kandahar-based journalist Waheedur Rahman Afghanmal was detained and questioned about his work, before being released on bail the following day. Freelancer Shamsullah Omari was also detained in a separate incident and released on August 24, AIJU said.
French-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi remains in prison following his arrest in January, shortly after he arrived in Kabul. The IFJ has however been informed that Behboudi will be tried on charges of espionage.
In relation to the nine journalists released this week, the AIJU said: “We welcome the release of all the arrested journalists. We once again ask the officials of the Islamic Emirate to follow up on the cases related to the work of the media through the ‘Commission for Investigation of Complaints and Handling of Media Violations’.”
The IFJ said: “This latest crackdown on Afghan media under the Taliban (IEA) regime has seen the country’s journalists and media workers continue to face increasing incidents of arbitrary arrest, harassment, and attack, despite assurances to the contrary. While the release of nine journalists is a welcome development, the IFJ urges the Taliban (IEA) to immediately free all media workers still in custody and work to protect the safety and security of all journalists in Afghanistan.”
A number of organizations supporting the media and journalists have meanwhile called for the immediate ratification of the media law. According to them, the lack of laws has made dealing with the problems of the media and journalists difficult.
“I hope that according to the promises made regarding the law of public media and the law of access to information, the fate of these two laws will be clarified as soon as possible and will be made available to the media community,” said Masroor Lutfi, a member of (ANJU).
But Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, denies an increase in arrests and violence against journalists in the country. He says a number of journalists were investigated for issues unrelated to journalism but that they have been released. Others still in prison are being investigated.
Mujahid also said a new media law has been drawn up and sent to the IEA’s supreme leader for approval.
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Afghan official slams Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘shameful’ claims on Islamic unity
Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, sharply criticized Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his recent claims about Islamic unity in relation to the war in Iran, calling them “shameful.”
On his X account, Ghaffran wrote: “You praised Trump as a hero of the Gaza peace plan, yet today you claim Islamic unity regarding Iran in a war that the same criminal (Trump) and his allies initiated?”
He added that while Afghanistan is governed under an Islamic system, Shehbaz Sharif has shown no compassion even toward the most vulnerable groups—from children to women and drug addicts—and that this cruelty persisted even during the holy month of Ramadan.
Ghaffran described Sharif’s stance as a “grave shame” and a stark example of “historical hypocrisy.”
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Airstrike on Kabul drug rehabilitation centre sparks legal concerns
Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.
An airstrike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul has drawn sharp criticism from Amnesty International, raising serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law.
The strike, carried out on 16 March, targeted a site at Camp Phoenix, a former military base that has functioned largely as a rehabilitation centre since 2016. Pakistani officials have claimed the attack was aimed at an ammunition depot allegedly located within the compound.
Responding to those claims, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.
“While the total number of casualties has yet to be independently verified, it is clear that the attack caused extensive civilian harm, with reports indicating hundreds killed or injured,” she said.
Lassee emphasized that the facility was widely known to house civilians undergoing treatment, and warned that any military action should have taken this into account. “Pakistan’s military should have taken all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians and civilian infrastructure,” she added.
She further noted that even if a military target had been present within the compound, international law requires that any strike be proportionate, ensuring that civilian harm is not excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.
“The scale of destruction raises serious concerns about whether an adequate proportionality assessment was conducted and whether sufficient steps were taken to verify the target and minimize civilian casualties,” Lassee said.
Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to disclose the intelligence behind the strike and to launch an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident. The organization stressed that findings should be made public to ensure accountability.
The group also urged all parties involved in the conflict to adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and to protect civilian infrastructure, including medical and rehabilitation facilities.
The airstrike formed part of Pakistan’s “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” which included strikes in both Kabul and Nangarhar Province. The targeted rehabilitation centre, known as Omid, reportedly had the capacity to accommodate around 2,000 individuals.
Casualty figures remain contested. Islamic Emirate officials claim more than 400 civilians were killed and over 200 injured, though these numbers have not been independently verified. The United Nations has so far confirmed 143 deaths.
The strike comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, at least 76 civilian casualties had already been recorded since the conflict intensified in February.
Pakistani officials, meanwhile, reported civilian casualties on their side of the border, including four deaths in Bajaur district on 15 March and the killing of a child in North Waziristan earlier in the month, allegedly due to cross-border fire from Afghanistan.
The latest developments underscore growing concerns about civilian safety as hostilities between the two countries continue to intensify.
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