KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban have sentenced Hekmat Aryan, director of Khushhal radio station in Ghazni, to one month in prison, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) reported on Monday. Aryan was convicted by a Ghazni court for allegedly broadcasting content related to Taliban military operations.
Despite the court’s ruling, Taliban intelligence authorities in the province opposed the sentence, pushing for a longer prison term. The court, however, stated that Aryan’s time already spent in Taliban custody would be deducted from the sentence, leaving him with just 15 days remaining.
Aryan was arrested on September 29 outside the radio station’s office in Ghazni. According to the AFJC, he was accused of airing an audio clip critical of Taliban suicide attacks. However, the privately owned Khushhal radio’s news director, Suleiman Rahal, clarified that the clip had been recorded during the previous government but was never broadcast.
Khushhal Radio, a private station that has been operating for seven months, airs programs on political, economic, social, cultural, and religious topics.
The AFJC condemned Aryan’s sentencing as unjust and lacking transparency, voicing concerns over Taliban intelligence interference in the case. The organization has called for Aryan’s immediate and unconditional release.
This incident adds to the growing list of journalist detentions under Taliban rule. Since their return to power, the Taliban have repeatedly detained and mistreated journalists, often accusing them of collaborating with exiled media or spying for foreign entities.
A recent AFJC report documented at least 89 cases of abuse against journalists by the Taliban, including 29 arrests in the first half of this year alone.