The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) denounced this Friday the arrest of two journalists and a number of Afghan citizens collaborating with the United Nations body. The event follows the Taliban’s recent arrest of two more Afghan media professionals, sparking criticism for attacks on press freedom.
“Two journalists who were on assignment with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them were detained in Kabul. We are doing everything we can to resolve the situation,” the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, without giving more details.
UNHCR declined to provide details on the identity of the detainees, saying the agency would not comment further “due to the nature of the situation.” Former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh noted on Twitter that the Taliban have arrested former BBC correspondent Andrew North plus eight other foreign nationalswithout providing details of when they were arrested.
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“Because there is no media, no citizen reporting, and a suffocating atmosphere of corruption, crimes and atrocities are not well exposed. For example, nine citizens of Western countries have been detained, including Andrew North (former) BBC and Peter Juvenal, owner of the Gandomak restaurant. The Taliban are liars,” Saleh said on Twitter.
the fundamentalists, who took control of Afghanistan last August, Two journalists from the Afghan television channel Ariana News were arrested last week.. Although Aslam Hijab and Waris Aslam were released two days later, their arrest increased criticism of fundamentalists for attacks on press freedom in Afghanistan.
The Center for Freedom of ExpressionInternational Amnesty (AI) and the UN Mission in Afghanistan (ONE MA) were some of the organizations that they demanded explanations from the Taliban about these arrests.
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The Taliban government is studying the case, according to its spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid. “We have received information about it and we are trying to confirm if they have been arrested or not“, he told the AFP.
The coming to power of the Taliban on August 15 had a severe impact on freedom of expression in Afghanistan, as various local and international organizations have claimed.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
* With AFP and EFE information
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