The United Nations Says The Taliban Have Had Hundreds Of Detentions Against Journalists Since Powering

Illustration of the Taliban. (Wikimedia Commons/Callum Darragh)

JAKARTA - The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said on Tuesday the Taliban had detained journalists arbitrarily 256 times since taking over three powers last year, and urged authorities there to protect the media.

The UN (UNAMA) mission and the United Nations Human Rights Office said in a statement journalists in Afghanistan were working in "challenging conditions".

"They often face unclear rules about what they may and cannot report, so they risk experiencing arbitrary intimidation and detention for being considered critical," said Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"We urge de facto authorities to ensure the safety and security of all journalists and media workers as they carry out their duties, and to fully acknowledge the importance of women working in the media," he added.

In responses to the report, the Taliban-led Afghan Foreign Ministry denied arresting a number of journalists, saying those arrested had committed crimes.

In its response, the ministry said women continue to work in the media, with certain conditions to comply with religious morality rules, such as covering their faces and working separately from men.

The ministry described the UN report as "far from the real reality" and said security forces were working to protect journalists.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the arrest figures were "exaggerated" and detentions were carried out according to law.

"No one was arbitrarily arrested," he said, listing violations committed by those detained.

The violation ranged from encouraging people to act against the system, defaming the government and providing false and baseless reports, to cooperating with the enemies of the system in the media, and providing material to media outlets against the system, he added.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Ministry of Information did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Taliban came to power in 2021, when foreign troops led by the United States leave, vowed to restore security and implement their strict interpretation of religious law.

The Taliban government has not been officially recognized by any foreign government. Western diplomats said the road to recognition was hampered by Taliban restrictions on women.