Kabul, Afghanistan – The Taliban have detained a female journalist in northern Afghanistan’s Kunduz province, according to the Afghanistan Media Support Organization.
In a statement, the organization said that Nazera Rashidi, a local journalist, was arrested by Taliban forces last Tuesday (January 6) and taken to an unknown location.
Rashidi’s family told the organization that she is innocent and has not engaged in any illegal activity.
The statement added that Rashidi is the main provider for her family, which has no male guardian, and that she supports her younger brothers and sisters.
The Afghanistan Media Support Organization condemned her arrest and called on the Taliban to release her immediately and unconditionally, and to clearly explain the legal basis for her detention.
The organization also urged international press freedom groups and human rights organizations to closely monitor the case and take practical steps to prevent the continued arrest and harassment of journalists in Afghanistan.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed wide-ranging restrictions on media outlets and journalists across the country.
Journalists have repeatedly been detained, interrogated and imprisoned under these policies, raising serious concerns over the state of press freedom in Afghanistan.
