KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban intelligence agents have detained Solaiman Rahel, the director of Khushhal Radio station in Ghazni, as confirmed by the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC).
In a statement released Friday, AFJC said Rahel was taken into custody on Monday morning, May 5, in Ghazni city. The Taliban have not provided any explanation for his arrest.
A local journalist told the AFJC that the detention may be linked to his Facebook posts, where he had recently raised concerns about widespread poverty and other social issues in Afghanistan.
AFJC condemned Rahel’s arrest and demands his immediate and unconditional release. The watchdog urged the Taliban to respect press freedom and allow journalists and media workers to work without fear.
Rahel is the fourth journalist detained by the Taliban in the past week. Earlier, three others—Nasratullah Ebrahimi of Ariana News and freelance reporters Moneer Hadaf and Asadullah Timor—were arrested in Taleqan, the capital of Takhar province.
Press freedom in Afghanistan has sharply declined since the Taliban’s return to power nearly four years ago. Journalists and media workers face regular threats, censorship, and arrest, often over social media activity or alleged links to foreign and exiled media.
A recent AFJC report noted a 24% increase in media rights violations over the past year, recording 181 incidents, including 131 threats and 50 arrests. At least 13 journalists and media workers are currently detained across Afghanistan. Six of them have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from several months to three years.
Rights groups continue to warn that journalists and media workers in Afghanistan face growing risks of censorship, harassment, arbitrary detention, and violence by the Taliban.
