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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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Khalilzad warns Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions likely to worsen after fresh airstrikes
Former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has warned that the latest Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan and recent violence inside Pakistan are part of a wider crisis, saying he sees no indication that the situation is about to change.
In a post on X on Thursday, Khalilzad described the Pakistani airstrikes that have killed Afghan civilians and the increasing use of force against civilians in Pakistan as “interconnected tragedies,” implying both effected by Pakistan’s establishment.
“Unfortunately, I do not see any signs of change,” Khalilzad said, adding that current indicators suggested the use of force against Pakistanis would “likely get worse” in the coming days.
His comments came after Pakistan carried out a new wave of airstrikes inside Afghanistan overnight Thursday, saying it had targeted 10 locations used to launch and store drones.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were conducted in response to drones launched from Afghan territory a day earlier and described them as “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate.”
Afghan officials said the strikes killed four civilians. The attacks reportedly hit locations including Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces. Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate authorities have denied launching the drones cited by Pakistan and have condemned the strikes.
The latest attacks follow Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week in Kunar and Paktika. Pakistan said those operations killed 28 militants, while the United Nations confirmed that three Afghan civilians — a man, a woman and a girl — were killed, with four others injured.
The renewed airstrikes come amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan authorities reject the allegations and say militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
Khalilzad has previously called for a change in Pakistan’s strategy toward both its internal security problems and Afghanistan.
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Afghanistan summons Pakistani chargé d’affaires over latest airstrikes
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to Kabul and lodged a strong protest against the violation of Afghan airspace and Pakistani military airstrikes on several Afghan provinces.
The ministry handed the Pakistani diplomat a formal protest note following the attacks on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Wednesday night, which reportedly caused civilian casualties.
The Islamic Emirate strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and contrary to Islamic, international, humanitarian and good-neighborly principles.
The ministry also rejected what it called baseless claims that Afghan territory was being used as a source of Pakistan’s recent security incidents.
It said using such claims to justify military action was an attempt to distort facts, mislead public opinion and conceal Pakistan’s internal failures.
The Islamic Emirate further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of avoiding commitments made to regional countries and warned that such actions could further escalate tensions in the region.
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Museum dedicated to preserving ‘Jihadi’ artefacts opens in Kandahar
The museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
A museum dedicated to preserving what Afghan authorities describe as “Jihadi artefacts” has officially opened in Kandahar, with officials saying more than 100 items have so far been collected for display.
Mufti Mohammad Tahir Ahmad, Director General for the Preservation of Jihadi Artefacts at the Ministry of Information and Culture, attended the inauguration ceremony alongside Qari Ahmadullah Saeed Khosti, Director of Registration for Jihadi Artefacts and Documents.
Mufti Inamullah Samangani, head of the Kandahar Information and Culture Department, and officials from several government departments also attended the ceremony.
According to the official responsible for preserving the artefacts in Kandahar, the museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
The collection includes weapons that officials say were captured from British, Soviet and US forces, as well as personal belongings and other items associated with people killed during Afghanistan’s conflicts over the past two decades.
Officials said efforts to collect additional artefacts would continue in order to expand the museum’s collection.
The museum is now open to visitors, according to the officials.
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