A journalist from Radio Jawanan, a local broadcaster shut down earlier this year by the Taliban, has been held in custody for over four months with no official charges or public updates on his condition, according to sources familiar with the case.
Radio Jawanan and its sister station, Radio Begum, were raided and forcibly closed on February 4 by Taliban intelligence in Kabul. According to sources, Taliban intelligence stormed their offices and detaining several staff members. The Taliban-run Ministry of Information and Culture accused the stations of “misusing media licenses and collaborating with foreign outlets.”
While the ministry later announced on February 22 that both radio stations were permitted to resume operations, sources told Amu that at least one of the two media workers arrested remains in custody under the Taliban’s intelligence directorate. Nearly 140 days after the initial detention, his whereabouts and condition remain unknown.
Press freedom groups have repeatedly urged the Taliban to cease detaining journalists and to stop restricting media operations. However, rights monitors report a growing pattern of intimidation, arrests, and censorship targeting independent media in recent months.
Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021, have imposed increasingly tight restrictions on freedom of expression, banning female journalists from appearing on television, mandating dress codes, and shutting down outlets deemed critical or foreign-influenced.
