KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban intelligence agents have detained a local journalist in eastern Nangarhar province, local sources told KabulNow, as the group continues tightening controls over media across the country.
Aziz Watanwal was taken into custody during a raid on his home in Jalalabad city on Saturday, along with two friends. While his friends were released after several hours, Watanwal remains in custody.
Sources said Taliban agents have not given any reason for his detention. They also confiscated Watanwal’s computer, camera, and other media equipment.
According to the sources, Watanwal is not currently working with any media outlet but has previously reported on events in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces for various news organizations.
Taliban authorities in Nangarhar have yet to comment on the arrest.
Press freedom in Afghanistan has sharply declined since the Taliban returned to power nearly four years ago. Journalists face regular threats, censorship, and arrests, often tied to social media activity or links to exiled media groups.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) recently reported a 56% increase in violations of media rights over the past six months, documenting 140 cases, including 20 arrests of journalists. Currently, at least 13 journalists are in Taliban custody, with six serving prison sentences ranging from several months to three years.
Rights groups continue to warn that journalists in Afghanistan face growing risks of censorship, harassment, arbitrary detention, and violence by the Taliban.
