KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban released employees of the private TV station Arezo TV on bail after two weeks of detention, according to the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC).
AFJC quoted an employee of the TV station, saying that all seven detained employees were released from Pul-e-Charkhi Prison on December 19 after providing a written guarantee to remain in Kabul and attend court sessions. He added that their trial is scheduled to take place in one week.
Taliban intelligence agents raided the Arezo TV office in Kabul on December 4, insulted staffs, confiscated equipment, sealed the door, and detained seven employees, including the station’s director, administrative manager, and a presenter.
Following the incident, the Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue claimed that the station’s office was closed due to the broadcasting of “immoral and vulgar” content, allegedly supported by exiled media. The ministry added that the office would remain sealed until further notice.
Established in 2006 in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, and with an office opened in Kabul in 2010, Arezo TV broadcasts news, “wildlife documentaries,” and “Islamic series” dubbed from Turkish into Persian, according to AFJC.
The media watchdog, while welcoming the release of the station’s employees, calls on the Taliban to respect the fundamental rights of free media, close the case, and allow the station to reopen without delay or conditions.
Upon reclaiming power in August 2021, the Taliban pledged to uphold freedom of the press. However, in practice, the regime has imposed significant restrictions on media activities and journalists, frequently shutting down media outlets that criticize the regime.
The Taliban’s media restrictions have led to the closure of more than half of Afghanistan’s once-thriving free media outlets. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), at least 12 TV stations have been shut down this year in Afghanistan, either due to direct Taliban orders or as a result of their media restrictions.
The Taliban’s newly enacted so-called “morality law,” which bans the broadcast of images of living beings, has worsened the situation, leading to the closure of many TV stations, including state-run channels, in the country in recent months.
