The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Two staff members of the private Afghan broadcaster Tamadon TV have been held by the Taliban for six days without formal charges or a court order, the television station said Saturday, calling for their immediate release.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Tamadon TV said its editor-in-chief, Mohammad Rahmati, and employee Mohammad Reza Ehsani have been detained in solitary confinement since their arrest. The station said the detentions were carried out on the orders of the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice but that authorities have not disclosed any allegations or legal basis for their imprisonment.
The broadcaster expressed concern about Rahmati’s health, saying his medical condition makes him unfit for detention.
“If any harm comes to Mr. Rahmati, the authority that ordered his detention without a court warrant bears direct responsibility,” the statement said.
The detentions come days after Tamadon TV said Taliban forces raided its headquarters in Kabul on June 23, forcing the station off the air.
The Taliban have not publicly commented on the arrests or responded to the broadcaster’s allegations.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on Afghanistan’s media, with journalists and media organizations reporting increasing pressure, detentions and censorship. Rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over the shrinking space for independent journalism in the country.
