KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has condemned the Taliban’s forced confession of imprisoned journalist Mehdi Ansari, calling it a clear violation of his rights and the principles of a fair trial.
Ansari, a journalist with the Afghan News Agency in Kabul, has been held by the Taliban since October 2024. He was accused of spreading “propaganda” against the regime and collaborating with exiled media outlets. Last year, a Taliban court sentenced him to one and a half years in prison.
On Monday, a media outlet close to the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence published a video of Ansari’s confession, in which he admitted to working with foreign-based media and “propagating against the Taliban.”
In a statement, the AFJC said forced confessions under psychological and physical pressure are part of the Taliban’s expanding crackdown on media and journalists, posing a serious threat to professional journalism and citizens’ rights.
The watchdog urged the Taliban to release Ansari and end the detention and harassment of independent journalists. According to the AFJC, at least six other journalists are currently held in Kabul, Parwan, and Ghazni provinces.
Press freedom in Afghanistan has sharply declined since the Taliban returned to power over four years ago. Journalists face routine threats, censorship, and arbitrary arrests, often over social media posts or links to foreign-based media.
A recent AFJC report recorded a 56% increase in media rights violations in the first half of 2025, including 140 incidents, 120 threats, and 20 arrests. Rights groups and media watchdogs have repeatedly expressed concern over the situation, urging the Taliban to allow journalists and media workers to operate freely without fear of censorship, harassment, detention, or violence.
