The news anchor of the Afghan TV channel Tolo News said that he was released by the Taliban on Friday after being detained for reporting a ban on broadcasting foreign dramas on local TV channels.
According to the French news agency AFP, human rights groups have condemned the decline in media freedom and increasing attacks on journalists since the Taliban came to power last year. The United Nations has called for an immediate end to the practice of "intimidating and threatening journalists" following the recent arrests.
The country's largest television network, Tolo News, reported on Friday that news anchor Bahram Aman was detained along with news director Khpalwak Safi and legal adviser Nafi Khaliq from the channel's office on Thursday evening.
According to a Tolo News statement, "the three were arrested for broadcasting the news that the authorities have banned TV channels from airing foreign drama serials."
Independent Safi and Nafi Khaliq were released late Thursday night, while a relative of Bahram Aman told AFP on condition of anonymity that "our whole family is worried." He (the Taliban) had earlier threatened her.
It should be noted that the Taliban, after taking control of Afghanistan, banned the broadcasting of dramas on TV channels unless their subject matter was Islamic.
On the other hand, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has strongly reacted to the arrest of the three media persons.
