Taliban intelligence agency has detained Mohammad Ibrahim Mohtaj, a broadcast manager and presenter with the independent Millat Zhag radio station in the southern city of Kandahar.

Millat Zhag broadcasts news and cultural programming for Kandahar city and surrounding districts.

Mohtaj is known for hosting social and historical programmes and has conducted several interviews with local Taliban officials.

A local reporter in Kandahar, who spoke to Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) under conditions of anonymity due to fear of reprisal from Taliban officials, reported that Mohtaj was arrested by employees of the Kandahar Provincial Virtue and Vice Department around 4 PM on Saturday, July 27, after he left his office for home. The journalist was unable to clarify the reasons behind Mohtaj’s arrest.

This marks at least the third arrest of a local journalist in Kandahar this month, including freelance journalist Mohammadyar Majrooh, who was arrested by the provincial department of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) on July 12 and remains in custody.

According to local sources, nearly all journalists and media workers in Kandahar, including those active on social media, are under severe pressure and threat from the Taliban and cannot broadcast or publish anything without its permission.

“Taliban officials must immediately release Mohammad Ibrahim Mohtaj and stop arbitrary detentions of journalists and media workers,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “Afghanistan’s notorious morality police must not exacerbate a media crackdown that has been a hallmark of Taliban rule or heighten fears among Afghan journalists.”

AFJC expressed deep concern about the arrest of Mohtaj and has called on the Taliban authorities in Kandahar province to release him unconditionally as soon as possible.