KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A group of journalists and civil activists on Monday called for the immediate release of Hamid Farhadi, a journalist imprisoned by the Taliban in Kabul.
Farhadi was arbitrarily arrested on September 3 last year by Taliban forces from the Ministry of Interior in the capital. He was accused of collaborating with Etilaatroz, an independent newspaper now operating in exile.
A Taliban primary court in Kabul sentenced him to two years in Pul-e-Charkhi prison, where he is currently being held.
Marking the National Journalists Day, the group urged international media organizations to pressure the Taliban for his release.
Nearly four years into their rule, the Taliban have imposed strict restrictions on media and journalists, often detaining reporters for alleged ties to exiled media outlets.
A recent report by the Afghanistan Journalists Center highlighted a 24% increase in violations against media workers over the past year.
The report documented 181 cases of press freedom violations, including 131 threats and 50 arrests. Among those detained, 10 journalists remain in prison, with four sentenced to two to three years in jail.
