KABUL — Amnesty International has called for the unconditional and immediate release of journalist Hamid Farhadi, who was arrested by the Taliban last year and transferred to a high-security prison without prior notice.
In a statement released on Thursday, the rights group said Farhadi, a contributor to an exiled Afghan media outlet, was detained solely for his peaceful human rights work and journalistic reporting on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Farhadi was arrested on September 3, 2024, by Taliban intelligence forces and later sentenced to two years in prison by a Taliban court on September 19. Amnesty said the journalist was denied access to legal representation during his trial.
According to Amnesty International, on March 28, 2025, he was transferred without explanation from Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi prison to the notorious Bagram prison, where the Taliban currently detain suspected members of Daesh. During the previous Afghan government, Bagram was used to hold individuals accused of terrorism.
Amnesty International said Farhadi’s conviction was based on his journalistic work, including articles highlighting the repression of women under Taliban rule. The organization has described his detention as a violation of international human rights standards and part of a broader campaign by the Taliban to silence critical voices.
“Hamid Farhadi must be released immediately and unconditionally,” the statement read.
Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on the press and civil society, detaining journalists, activists, and former government workers. Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned these actions as part of an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression in Afghanistan.
