Despite the Release of Three Journalists, Another Journalist is Still Imprisoned in Kunduz

After the intelligence department of Kunduz province arrested four journalists, including Abdullah Ahmadi, Free Journalist, Emil Kakar, reporter of Tolo News, Atiqullah Rahimi, reporter of Radio Kilid, and Islamuddin Sahibzadeh, reporter of Rahe Farda Radio and Television, three of these journalists were released after a short time, but Abdullah Ahmadi is still in prison.
Afghan Journalists Center (AFJC), by publishing a statement, while expressing serious regret regarding the occurrence of this event, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the detained journalist, and at the same time, asked the intelligence department to respect the law of mass media and put an end to the process of suppressing journalists and media.
Based on this announcement, three of these journalists who went to the Kunduz Municipality Hotel to cover news events, were arrested, and the Rahe Farda TV reporter was also arrested after being summoned to the Intelligence Directorate, and then all of them were interrogated at the same time.
The announcement quoted news sources and added that the smartphones of these journalists were taken from them and their contents were checked. Abdullah Ahmadi is also accused of having a role in preparing the content of a report about a large bridge in Aliabad district of Kunduz province, which was published by Amu TV.
The announcement continued that the intelligence department and Kunduz Department of Information and Culture did not say anything about the arrest and the charges against the arrested journalists, but according to the journalists of this province, the verbal instruction of the local administration excludes the journalists from cooperating with the Afghan media working outside the country.
In a part of this declaration, it is stated: “According to the Law of Public Media, journalists are free to do their professional work, and the authorities should not create restrictions in their work or threaten them, but should support them.”
This is the first arrest of journalists in the new year of 1403 in Afghanistan. Based on the report of the Afghan Journalists Center, at least 59 journalists were arrested last year.