KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Thursday expressed serious concern over the detention of at least three journalists by Taliban authorities and demanded clarification on the legal grounds for their arrests.
In a statement, UNAMA stated that it was alarmed by reports of assaults against journalists and the confiscation of property during search operations conducted by Taliban forces.
The U.N. mission called on the Taliban to provide details about the charges against the detained journalists and to ensure fair legal procedures in accordance with international human rights standards.
“A free, independent, and safe press is essential for transparency, accountability, and the well-being of Afghan society,” UNAMA said, adding that journalists should be able to carry out their work without fear of intimidation, harassment, or reprisals.
UNAMA did not name the detained journalists, but the statement follows the arrests last week of Mansoor Niazi and Imran Danish, journalists with the local broadcaster TOLOnews, and Jawed Niazi, editor of the Paigard news agency.
Taliban authorities have confirmed the detention of the two TOLOnews staff, saying that their cases are under investigation, but have provided no specific reasons for the arrests.
Sources told KabulNow that Taliban intelligence personnel later raided the offices of Moby Group, the parent company of TOLOnews, in Kabul. According to the sources, dozens of armed Taliban personnel surrounded the compound for several hours, questioned employees, and inspected mobile phones belonging to staff members.
The detentions have triggered sharp criticism from international rights groups and press freedom organizations, which say the arrests reflect increasing pressure on Afghanistan’s media sector.
Amnesty International earlier this week described the cases as “arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance,” urging the Taliban to immediately clarify the journalists’ fate and whereabouts and allow them to contact their families and legal representation.
Amnesty said the incidents form part of a continuing pattern of intimidation and reprisals against journalists and media workers in Afghanistan, which it said violates Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law.
The rights group called for the journalists’ immediate release unless they are formally charged with internationally recognizable criminal offences and afforded fair trials.
The media environment in Afghanistan has deteriorated markedly since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Journalists continue to report facing arrests, censorship, interrogations, threats, and pressure related to their reporting, online activity, or alleged links to exiled Afghan media outlets.
The Afghan Journalists’ Committee (AFJC) has documented at least 150 violations of press freedom and incidents of violence against journalists since May 2025, including 127 threats and 20 arrests.
Reporters Without Borders ranked Afghanistan 175th out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, placing it among the lowest-ranked countries globally for media freedom.
