Irfanullah Bidar, a local radio journalist in Nangarhar province, who was arrested by the Taliban in Jalalabad city nearly a week ago, has been released, according to reliable sources on Monday.
The family of Bidar has not made any public statement about his release, but sources reveal that he had been under investigation by the Taliban’s intelligence department during his detention.
Taliban has not issued any official statements regarding the arrest or subsequent release of Irfanullah Bidar.
With a ten-year tenure in various departments of Safa Radio, Irfanullah Bidar has been a known figure in the province.
However, concerns for the safety and well-being of journalists operating in Afghanistan have been raised, as the Afghanistan Journalists Center reports that at least three other journalists have been held in Taliban custody for several months. The situation continues to draw serious alarm among media professionals in the country.
The circumstances surrounding Bidar’s arrest and subsequent release remain unclear, but according to the journalists’ center, the incident highlights the challenges and risks faced by journalists while carrying out their crucial work in Afghanistan’s complex and evolving environment.
