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Media watchdogs call for immediate release of all journalists still in custody

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(Last Updated On: September 7, 2023)

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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Kabir tells UN official IEA will attend Doha meeting if its ‘position is accepted’

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(Last Updated On: May 20, 2024)

In a meeting with Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Deputy Prime Minister said the Islamic Emirate will participate in the third Doha meeting if its “position” is accepted.

He said that Afghanistan is under the complete control of the Islamic Emirate and that the country “has an Emir” and the government is “obeyed”.

According to a statement issued by Mawlavi Abdul Kabir’s office, the deputy prime minister told DiCarlo: “The previous meeting in Doha was incomplete due to some shortcomings of its organizers, and the position of the Islamic Emirate should be accepted in the next meeting so that the delegation of the Islamic Emirate will participate in it.”

The Secretary General of the United Nations once expressed regret for the Islamic Emirate’s non-participation in the Doha meeting, but at the same time said that accepting the demands of the Islamic Emirate is equivalent to its recognition.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate is asking the United Nations and other countries to recognize them as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

Kabir said that the Islamic Emirate has fulfilled all its obligations and “rules over the entire geography of Afghanistan… There is a central government in all of Afghanistan that has an emir and is obeyed.”

The United Nations is expected to hold the third Doha meeting with the participation of special representatives of countries for Afghanistan, but it has not set a date for it yet.

The Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the United Nations meanwhile visited Kabul this week and invited the Islamic Emirate’s officials to participate in the Doha meeting.

According to the deputy prime minister’s office, DiCarlo informed Kabir about the Doha meeting and said that “the Islamic Emirate’s conditions for participating in this meeting are not difficult.”

She expressed hope that a delegation of the Islamic Emirate will participate.

She said that representatives of a number of international organizations and countries have been invited to the Doha meeting, including the World Bank.

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UN’s DiCarlo meets with Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah over Doha meeting

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(Last Updated On: May 20, 2024)

Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai, and the country’s former CEO Abdullah Abdullah met with Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs this weekend, regarding the third Doha meeting.

In a statement issued by Karzai’s office, it is stated that during the meeting they emphasized the need to help and support the people of Afghanistan and said that they considered education in Afghanistan essential.

They also emphasized the need for national understanding to achieve peace.

DiCarlo, who is on a trip to Kabul, has already met and discussed numerous issues with a number of officials of the Islamic Emirate.

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IEA ‘stands by’ Iranian people during this ‘difficult’ time

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(Last Updated On: May 20, 2024)

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said on Monday that it was with great regret they learned that the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Imam Solat Jumaat Bandar Tabriz Hojjatoleslam Al Hashem, and their accompanying staff lost their lives in a chopper crash on Sunday.

According to a statement issued by the IEA, “the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and all Afghans are deeply saddened and affected by this tragic accident.

“We share this grief with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the people of that country, and offer our condolences to all the families of the victims, the nation and the government of Iran,” read the statement.

The announcement also stated: “In this difficult situation, we are with the people of Iran and we pray for forgiveness to all the victims of this accident and patience to their families.”

On Monday morning, an Iranian official confirmed the deaths of the president and foreign minister.

This comes after rescuers searched through the night in mountains in the north west of the country for the crash site.

The helicopter had been returning to Tabriz after the president and foreign minister visited a dam project on the border with Azerbaijan.

The chopper went down in bad weather in remote mountains that are heavily forested.

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