KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban authorities released local journalist Mahdi Ansary on Wednesday after he completed an 18-month prison term for alleged propaganda against the group, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) reported.
Ansary, a reporter for the Afghan News Agency (AFKA), was arrested by agents from the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) on October 5, 2024, near his office in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi area. His family initially reported him missing before sources confirmed his detention by the Taliban.
A Taliban court in Kabul sentenced him in January 2025 to one and a half years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Emirates,” citing his journalistic work, social media posts, and alleged collaboration with exiled media outlets.
In a statement on Thursday, the AFJC welcomed the release but described Ansary’s detention as unjust, stating it occurred without due process or access to independent legal defense. The watchdog said the case highlighted serious violations of fundamental rights and ongoing restrictions on press freedom in Afghanistan.
According to the AFJC, at least 12 journalists and media workers have been detained by the Taliban in the past 12 months, with at least four still in custody serving sentences.
The media watchdog urged Taliban authorities to end media repression, release all detained journalists, and allow reporters and media workers to work freely and safely.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed increasing restrictions on media activity, including arrests, censorship measures, and the closure of outlets. Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders’ 2025 World Press Freedom Index, marking one of the world’s most repressive environments for journalists.
In its latest annual report, the AFJC documented 207 media rights violations over the year, including two journalist killings, one injury, 183 threats, and 21 arrests—a 20% increase from the previous year.
Media watchdogs and rights groups continue to warn that remaining independent reporters in Afghanistan face escalating threats, intimidation, and censorship, severely limiting space for free journalism.
