The Taliban’s primary court in central Daikundi province has sentenced Sultan Ali Jawadi, a local journalist and the manager of Radio Nasim, a local radio station in the province, to one year in prison. He is accused of propagating against the regime in Afghanistan.
According to local sources, the Taliban court also accused Jawadi of collaborating with foreign media and engaging in espionage for foreign countries. Jawadi and his colleagues were arrested by the Taliban agents in October. While his colleagues were released later, Jawadi has remained in Taliban custody since that time.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 12, the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC) expressed concern regarding the arrest of the local journalist. They called on the Taliban to review the decision and immediately release the journalist without conditions. The AFJC deemed the sentence unfair and unacceptable due to the absence of legal representation during the trial process.
The Taliban takeover has decimated Afghanistan’s once-thriving media sector, leaving journalists vulnerable to arrest, harassment, and torture. Despite an initial promise to allow press freedom after taking power in August 2021, the Taliban have shut down dozens of local media outlets, arrested and assaulted reporters, banned some international broadcasters, and denied visas to foreign correspondents.
In the latest incident, a local journalist named Abdul Rahim Mohammadi, affiliated with Tamadon TV, was arrested by the regime’s intelligence in Kandahar province on December 4. Following his arrest, AFJC expressed concern about the surge in violent incidents and media freedom violations, particularly highlighting threats and the ongoing detentions of journalists and media workers in the country.
In a report released on November 18, AFJC highlighted widespread disruptions to media operations in Afghanistan. The report emphasized that stringent restrictions on accessing information have significantly hindered media organizations’ ability to generate independent reports and conduct critical journalism. “The Taliban’s tightening grip on media content has forced outlets to focus solely on approved coverage of humanitarian events, aid efforts, and educational programs,” AFJC said. The organization documented a total of 75 incidents violating media freedom in the first six months of the ongoing solar year. These incidents involved 33 arrests and 42 instances of threats against journalists and media personnel.
During the past two years, almost half of Afghanistan’s once vibrant media have been either forced to cease operations or move their offices abroad as a result of the Taliban’s strict restrictions and continued pressure. Faced with the relentless harassment, many journalists have had to leave their jobs or even flee the country. A survey by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) counted 547 media outlets operating in the country in early 2021, saying over 50% of media outlets have closed down and many international news broadcasts have been banned. according to the report, more than 80% of female journalists in Afghanistan have been forced to leave their jobs since the Taliban’s return to power.
