NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a US-based monitoring group, has demanded that the Taliban authorities free Iranian photojournalist Mohammad Hossein Velayati “immediately and unconditionally” and stop harassing media workers in Afghanistan.
Velayati, a photojournalist for Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, was detained by Taliban authorities on August 19 at Kabul International Airport before boarding a flight to Iran, according to CPJ, citing both Velayati’s employer and an unnamed reporter in Kabul familiar with the situation.
According to CPJ, Velayati had been on a 10-day personal visit to Afghanistan. The authorities have not provided any information regarding the cause of Velayati’s detention or the location of his detention.
“The arrest of Iranian photojournalist Mohammad Hossein Velayati is another setback to press freedom in Afghanistan, as the Taliban has ramped up its campaigns to crack down on the media in recent weeks,” Beh Lih Yi, Asia project coordinator for CPJ with a base in Kuala Lumpur, said in a statement.
“Taliban authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Velayati, provide information regarding his initial detention, and end these arbitrary arrests forever,” she continued. CPJ reported that a comment request issued through messaging app to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid received no response.
According to CPJ, the Taliban arrested at least five more journalists this month because they were employed by media organizations that operated from exile. In the province of Helmand, authorities similarly forbade using women’s voices in broadcasts.
According to the statement, “Since the fall of Kabul on August 15, 2021, the Taliban’s repression of the Afghan media has worsened,” and “On the second anniversary of the group’s return to power, CPJ called on the Taliban to stop its constant campaign of harassment and adhere to its promise to safeguard journalists in Afghanistan.” —APP
