KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban intelligence agency has suspended broadcasts of a private radio station in central Daikundi and Bamiyan provinces after it aired a report by the UN Secretary-General on ISIS presence in Afghanistan.
Reza Wahidi, the owner of Radio Nasim, said that Taliban agents raided the station on Wednesday and detained three of its staff members. Those detained included editor-in-chief Sultan Ali Jawadi and reporters Saifullah Rezaie and Mujtaba Qasemi.
According to Wahidi, the three were held by Taliban intelligence for several hours and were later released on bail. They have been ordered to appear at a Taliban court on Thursday and their legal status remains unclear.
The action followed the station’s broadcast of a recent report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, which highlighted the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan and its ongoing threat to regional and global security. According to Wahidi, Taliban agents interrogated the station’s staff about why they had aired the report.
This is not the first time Radio Nasim has faced pressure. Editor-in-chief Sultan Ali Jawadi was previously arrested by the Taliban and sentenced to one year in prison for allegedly spreading propaganda against the regime. He was released earlier this year after serving seven months, following a general pardon issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada for Eid al-Fitr.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has repeatedly cracked down on independent media across Afghanistan. Despite publicly recognizing the country’s Media Law, which prohibits interference in the work of journalists, the group has imposed increasingly restrictive rules.
According to media watchdogs, the Taliban has issued at least 21 directives targeting journalists and media outlets. These include bans on broadcasting music, airing images of living beings, and restrictions on political programs without prior approval.
More than half of Afghanistan’s media outlets have shut down since the Taliban’s return. According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC), at least 12 TV stations were closed last year due to Taliban pressure or their restrictive policies.
