Taliban Detains Female Journalist In Kunduz, Says Media Watchdog
The Afghanistan Media Support Organization said the Taliban have detained a female journalist in northern Afghanistan, calling for her immediate release.
The Afghanistan Media Support Organization said the Taliban have detained a female journalist in northern Afghanistan, calling for her immediate release.
The organisation said Nazera Rashidi, a local reporter in Kunduz, was arrested on Tuesday, January 6, and taken to an undisclosed location. It said she was detained without any official explanation.
According to the group, Rashidi’s family said she has been in Taliban custody for four days. The organisation urged the Taliban to disclose the reasons for her detention and to guarantee her safety and legal rights, stressing that women journalists are entitled to protection under international human rights standards.
In its statement, the group also called on international human rights bodies to closely monitor the case.
Local reports said Taliban intelligence agents detained Rashidi as she was leaving her home in Kunduz. Her relatives said she is the sole breadwinner for her family and the guardian of her younger siblings.
Women journalists in Afghanistan have faced increasing restrictions since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. According to media rights groups, only about 7 percent of women journalists say they are able to work freely.
Reports indicate that around 55 percent of women journalists face personal threats, while more than 32 percent work covertly, mainly for online and written media, amid fears of arrest or reprisals.
