The Taliban detained a female journalist and several of her colleagues in Kabul while they were covering Ashura ceremonies, according to a media rights organization, raising fresh concerns over increasing restrictions on press freedom in Afghanistan.
In a statement issued on Friday, the organization said the journalist was taken into custody for working alongside a male cameraman who was not related to her. Taliban authorities reportedly transferred the journalist and her colleagues to a police district in Kabul, where they remained in custody for several hours.
According to the organization, the detainees were released later the same day following intervention by media representatives and family members.
For security reasons, the organization withheld the identities of the journalist, the cameraman, and the media organization they were working for.
The media rights group described the detention as another example of growing restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information under Taliban rule. It also alleged that the Taliban deliberately sought to prevent media coverage of Ashura commemorations.
The organization emphasized that reporting on religious and cultural events is a fundamental part of journalists’ professional responsibilities and warned that such actions further undermine the ability of independent media to operate freely in Afghanistan.
