More than 20 journalists working for the media in Afghanistan’s Ghor province have fled to Iran as the Taliban seeks out radio, tv and newspaper journalists to intimidate, beat or kill them.

Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty reports that large numbers of journalists have been smuggled to Iran following the Taliban’s growing threats against media. The fate of many other media workers who have remained in Afghanistan remains unknown.

According to a report on Radio Farda with pictorial evidence from AFP, Taqi Daryabi and Nematullah Naqdi, two journalists for the daily Al-Inta’a, were detained and severely beaten while covering a women’s protest against the Taliban in Kabul. After their release, the reporters alleged they had been flogged and displayed their wounds.