The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of journalist Seyed Rahim Saidi, who is reportedly detained by authorities in Afghanistan.
In a presser, AFJC says that Seyed Rahim Saidi, the managing director and producer of Anar Media, a YouTube-based broadcaster, was detained on the 14th of July by members of the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) along with his son, who is also a reporter at the outlet. This incident took place in the Khushhal Khan area of Kabul city, close to the outlet’s office. The GDI also raided the office and detained its cameraman, Hasib, as well as two other individuals from the compound, the presser of AFJC kept saying.
AFJC said that the authorities later released reporter Sayed Waris Saidi and Cameraman Hasib, along with the other detained persons, the following day. However, Sayed Rahim Saidi remains in custody with no information available on his whereabouts.
There has been no comment from the intelligence agency, the Ministry of Information and Culture, or the Taliban government spokesman regarding the reason for the arrest of Saeedi and his colleagues.
AFJC termed the detention of journalists Seyed Rahim Saidi, Seyed Waris Saidi, and Hasib as a troubling and unacceptable escalation of attacks on independent media.”
The council has demanded the release of Seyed Rahim Saidi immediately and unconditionally and to end the practice of imprisoning journalists for simply doing their job.
