KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has detained two employees of Nama Media, a cultural and artistic organization based in Kabul, for allegedly promoting Christianity, atheism, and feminism.
In a post on X, Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, said the arrests took place in Kabul.
One of the detained individuals has been identified as Sayed Reza, a Kabul resident, while the identity of the second detainee has not been disclosed. Khyber claimed that both individuals confessed to “inviting people to Christianity and atheism.”
The exact date of the arrests remains unclear.
Nama Media has not commented on the matter. The organization produces films and series and says it also operates a digital library, a cultural news outlet, and a store for cultural products.
The Taliban has a history of targeting individuals accused of promoting Christianity or other non-Islamic beliefs. In September 2023, the group detained 18 employees of the Christian aid organization International Assistance Mission (IAM) in Ghor province. Among them were six women and an American citizen.
In 2010, Taliban fighters killed ten aid workers from the same organization in Badakhshan. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said at the time they were targeted for “spying for the Americans” and “promoting Christianity.”
Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban has also detained dozens of journalists, media workers, artists, and activists, many of whom are accused of collaborating with foreign or exiled media or promoting what the Taliban categorize as “foreign and un-Islamic values.”
According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center, at least ten journalists and media workers are currently in Taliban custody, with six having received prison sentences ranging from seven months to three years.
