Amnesty International on Monday expressed deep concern over the detention and “enforced disappearance” of three journalists, calling on the Taliban to immediately disclose their whereabouts and release them unless formally charged under internationally recognized legal standards.
In a statement, Amnesty International identified the detained journalists as Mansoor Niazi and Imran Danish, reporters for TOLOnews, and Jawed Niazi, the editor of the local Paigard news agency.
The organization said the journalists were allegedly detained by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence, or GDI, and warned that the arrests appeared to reflect a broader pattern of intimidation targeting journalists and media workers in Afghanistan.
“These actions appear to be part of a broader and continued pattern of intimidation and reprisals against journalists and media workers in Afghanistan,” Amnesty International said.
The rights group said the arbitrary deprivation of liberty and the alleged enforced disappearances raised serious concerns about the safety of the detained journalists, including the risk of torture and other mistreatment.
Amnesty called on Taliban to immediately reveal the fate and whereabouts of the journalists, ensure their access to lawyers and family members and release them unless they are charged with a recognizable criminal offense through proceedings meeting international fair trial standards.
Taliban have not publicly commented on the detentions.
Sources previously told Amu TV that Mansoor Niazi was detained last week in Kabul’s Karte Char area. Relatives and colleagues have said they have received little information about the journalists’ condition or whereabouts since the arrests.
The detentions have intensified concerns among media organizations and international press freedom groups, which say the environment for independent journalism has sharply deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
According to media advocacy groups, at least seven journalists are currently being held in Taliban custody.
Press freedom organizations say Taliban have increasingly relied on arrests, interrogations and intimidation to restrict reporting and silence criticism.
In its latest World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Afghanistan 175th out of 180 countries, citing censorship, gender restrictions and growing pressure on journalists.
The organization has reported that dozens of media outlets have shut down since the Taliban takeover, while many journalists have fled the country or abandoned the profession.
