Sources have informed Bayan News that the Taliban released five local journalists from captivity on thursday (August 31).
Ataullah Omar, a journalist from Tolonews, Haseeb Hassas, a reporter for Radio Salam Watandar in Kunduz, Mohibullah Hakimi, a freelance journalist in Zabul, Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai, and Jan Agha Saleh, journalists from Radio Kilid in Nangarhar, have been freed from Taliban prisons.
A family member of Hassas stated that he was detained by the Taliban in Kunduz 21 days ago and was later transferred to Kabul.
Meanwhile, the Free Journalists Union of Afghanistan has stated that journalists should not be detained for their media activities.
The union emphasized that cases related to media activities should be addressed through the channel of the Commission for Complaints and Investigation of Media Violations.
Recently, the detention of journalists by the Taliban has increased.
In the past three weeks alone, approximately ten journalists have been arrested on various charges in Kabul, Kunduz, Badakhshan, and Kunar provinces.
Officials of the Kabul interim government had previously stated that the journalists were detained on charges of collaborating with exiled media outlets.
