KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Taliban to “immediately” and “unconditionally” release Mohammad Rahmati, the director of Tamadon TV, and Mohammad Reza Ehsani, an employee of the broadcaster.
In a statement published on X on Friday (July 3), the committee also said that Tamadon TV should be allowed to resume its operations.
The Committee to Protect Journalists stated that Rahmati suffers from heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure and must be granted immediate access to medical care.
The organization also called on the Taliban to return the broadcasting equipment confiscated from Tamadon TV and allow the station to resume broadcasting in Afghanistan.
Mohammad Rahmati and his colleague Mohammad Reza Ehsani were arrested by Taliban justice ministry forces following a raid on Tamadon TV’s offices in Kabul on June 23, shortly after the broadcaster criticized the Taliban’s actions against it, according to the Afghanistan Journalists Center.
Taliban authorities suspended the station’s broadcasts, sealed its offices, and confiscated equipment, which was transported away. Authorities accused Tamadon TV of being affiliated with a political party and claimed its building was constructed on state-owned land — allegations denied by station officials.
The case has drawn renewed attention to concerns over press freedom and the operating environment for independent media in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, numerous Afghan media outlets have been closed, suspended, or subjected to restrictions, while journalists have faced arrests, intimidation, and censorship.
Press freedom organizations have repeatedly called on the Taliban to respect media independence, ensure the safety of journalists, and uphold the right to freedom of expression in accordance with international human rights standards.
According to the AFJC, the Taliban have arrested and detained at least 300 journalists and media staff since 2021 for alleged violations of the group’s strict media regulations, with at least seven still held in custody. In Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries, among the lowest globally.
