Afghan Filmmaker Sayed Rahim Saidi Released After 11 Months In Taliban Custody
Afghan filmmaker and television director Sayed Rahim Saidi has been released after spending 11 months in Taliban custody, Amnesty International announced this week.
Afghan filmmaker and television director Sayed Rahim Saidi has been released after spending 11 months in Taliban custody, Amnesty International announced this week.
The human rights organisation welcomed his release and emphasised that Saidi should never have been imprisoned for exercising his right to freedom of expression. Amnesty International also thanked supporters of its “Urgent Action” campaign, which had called for his immediate release.
Saidi, director of Anar Media, was arrested on 14 July 2024 in Kabul alongside colleagues Sayed Waris Saeedi and Hasib Sadat. While his colleagues were released the following day, Saidi remained detained and was later sentenced to three years in prison for alleged propaganda against the Taliban.
Reports indicate that he was held in an intelligence detention facility before being transferred to Pul-e-Charkhi Prison, despite suffering from serious health issues.
Saidi has worked in Afghanistan’s media industry for over two decades. He was reportedly targeted for writing a screenplay highlighting the denial of education to girls under Taliban rule. The screenplay was intended to become a critical film addressing education and women’s rights in the country.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center and the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization had previously demanded his release. According to available data, more than 10 journalists remain in Taliban custody.
Amnesty International reiterated the importance of defending freedom of expression and called for global support for artists, journalists, and media professionals facing repression.
