KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban have released seven employees of Arezo TV on guarantees after weeks in detention, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) reported. The employees remain under investigation and are expected to face trial in a Taliban court within a week.
According to the AFJC, the Taliban have yet to permit Arezo TV to resume operations. While welcoming the release of the detained media workers, the organization called on the Taliban to allow the station to reopen without conditions.
A source quoted by the AFJC stated that the employees were freed after providing written guarantees not to leave Kabul and to appear in court as required. The seven were released from Pul-e-Charkhi prison, the main detention facility in the capital.
The detentions followed a December 4 raid by Taliban intelligence forces on Arezo TV’s offices in Kabul. Sources said the employees were mistreated during the raid, with some reportedly beaten. The Taliban also searched their phones and computers.
The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice claimed responsibility for the arrests, accusing the employees of collaborating with foreign media and violating Islamic values. The ministry alleged that the station had broadcast “immoral films” and engaged in activities contrary to Islamic principles. The office remains sealed, with a notice posted by Taliban authorities.
The closure of Arezo TV has drawn sharp criticism from Afghan journalists, who view the move as part of an escalating crackdown on press freedom in Afghanistan.
