KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources report that the Taliban have arrested a young man in Kabul for filming a traffic accident.
The man, identified as Rahim Haidari, was detained last week. Haidari is originally from Panjshir province and works for the Taliban’s Department of Agriculture in Qarabagh District, Kabul.
Taliban security officials in Kabul have yet to comment on the incident.
While the Taliban prohibits citizens from filming or photographing explosions and security-related events, this marks the first known arrest for recording a traffic accident.
Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghanistan’s media sector, despite previously endorsing the Afghanistan Media Law, which protects press activities from interference. The regime has issued more than 20 directives limiting media freedom, leading to the closure of over half of the country’s media outlets.
These restrictions intensified with the introduction of a “news morality” law in August, enabling morality police to monitor media content and ban anything seen as contrary to Sharia law. The Taliban has also prohibited photography and video recording at public gatherings, official meetings, seminars, and workshops in multiple provinces.
Last month, the Taliban introduced new measures banning live broadcasts of political programs and requiring guest speakers to be pre-approved by authorities.
