According to Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC), Suleiman Rahel, the current managing director of Radio Khushal in Ghazni, has been arrested by Taliban intelligence agency of the province.
A local source in Ghazni told AFJC that Suleiman Rahel was detained by the provincial intelligence department on Monday, May 15, from the Ghazni city, but no reason has been provided for his arrest.
A local journalist said that it is possible that he was arrested in connection with some of his recent posts on Facebook about social problems and worsening economic poverty of the people, which is considered as inciting public opinion by the Ghazni Intelligence Department.
Rahel is the fourth journalist detained by the Taliban in the past week. Earlier, three others—Nasratullah Ebrahimi of Ariana News and freelance reporters Moneer Hadaf and Asadullah Timor—were arrested in Taleqan, the capital of Takhar province.
In October last year, Hekmat Arian, the former managing director of Radio Khushal, was sentenced to one month in prison by the Ghazni Primary Court on charges of publishing an article about Taliban war operations, and was released after serving this time in prison.
AFJC expressed serious concern about this incident and called on the local authorities to release Rahel unconditionally as soon as possible and to allow journalists to carry out their professional work without fear of arrest and interference, in accordance with the country’s public media law.
According to the Public Media Law, which the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture considers enforceable, journalists are free to carry out their professional work, and officials must support their profession without restrictions or threats.
A recent AFJC report noted a 24% increase in media rights violations over the past year, recording 181 incidents, including 131 threats and 50 arrests. At least 13 journalists and media workers are currently detained across Afghanistan. Six of them have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from several months to three years.
According to data recorded by the AFJC’s Media Freedom Tracker, in addition to Rahel, at least 13 other journalists and media workers are currently in detention or serving sentences in prison. Of these, six have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven months to three years.