The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said Tuesday that the Taliban, who rule the country, have arbitrarily arrested journalists 256 times since taking power three years ago and called on national authorities to protect the press.
In a response accompanying the report, the Taliban-led Foreign Ministry denied having arrested that number of journalists and added that those detained had committed a crime.
Journalists in Afghanistan were working in “difficult conditions”, according to a statement from the United Nations mission (Unama) and the United Nations Human Rights Office.
“They often face unclear rules about what they can and cannot report, running the risk of intimidation and arbitrary detention for what is perceived as criticism,” said Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of Secretary-General António Guterres.
“We call on the de facto authorities to ensure the safety and security of all journalists and media workers in the exercise of their duties and to fully recognize the importance of women working in the media,” she added.
In its response, the ministry said women continue to work in the media, subject to certain conditions to meet the rules of religious morality, such as covering their faces and working separately from men.
He described the UN report as “far from current reality” and said security forces were working to protect journalists. The Afghan Ministry of Information did not initially respond to a request for comment.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the number of arrests was “exaggerated” and that the detentions were carried out in accordance with the law.
“No one is arrested arbitrarily,” he said, listing the infractions committed by detainees.
They range from encouraging people to act against the system, defaming the government and providing false and unsubstantiated reports, to cooperating with enemies of the system in the media and providing material to the media against the system, he added.
The Taliban came to power in 2021 with the withdrawal of foreign forces, vowing to restore security and impose their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
His administration has not been officially recognized by any foreign government, and Western diplomats have said the path to recognition has been undermined by restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women.
Source: Terra
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