Rights Group Demands Immediate Release Of Afghan Journalist Ehsan Akbari

The Committee, highlighting the Taliban's systematic suppression of the media, urged the group to cease harassing and detaining journalists.

Akbari was detained in Kabul on January 17. He had been working as a journalist for the Kyodo News agency's Kabul office for over a year.

An anonymous representative of Kyodo News told CPJ that the Taliban's intelligence department had transferred Akbari to an undisclosed location.

This source mentioned that a day after Akbari's detention, the Taliban's intelligence agents forced him to contact his family to hand over his mobile phone to the group’s agents.

Taliban agents raided Akbari's workplace, confiscating security cameras, a laptop, and related documents.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's spokesperson, confirmed Akbari's arrest and the seizure of his work equipment. He stated the reason for the arrest was "transferring information to anti-Taliban circles”.

Beh Lih Yi CPJ’s Asia Coordinator stated, "Taliban authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Ehsan Akbari and stop detaining Afghan journalists in retaliation for their work."

She described Akbari's detention as part of the Taliban’s intelligence department’s systematic suppression of the media in Afghanistan.

The CPJ reported that media suppression in Afghanistan has intensified since the Taliban's takeover.