Relentless Crackdown on Journalists in Afghanistan: Taliban Using Forced Confessions and Mass Arrests
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\nReporters Without Borders (RSF) has warned that the Taliban are carrying out a new campaign of repression against the media in Afghanistan, using arbitrary arrests and forced confessions to intimidate journalists and restrict press freedom.<\/p>\n
Videos of these coerced confessions have circulated on social media, showing the extent of pressure and censorship facing Afghan journalists under Taliban rule.<\/p>\n
In its latest report, RSF said the Taliban are forcing journalists to make public confessions to legitimize their arrests and to humiliate them publicly. These videos are then disseminated through Taliban-controlled social media accounts.<\/p>\n
According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), C\u00e9lia Mercier, head of RSF\u2019s South Asia desk, stated that \u201cthe Taliban are using fear and intimidation as systematic tools of repression.\u201d<\/p>\n
The report cited the case of Mehdi Ansari, a journalist whose forced confession video was posted on a Taliban intelligence-linked Facebook page last month, accusing him of \u201cspreading poisonous propaganda\u201d and collaborating with exiled media outlets.<\/p>\n
RSF also noted similar cases involving Abuzar Sarim Sarpuli, head of Tawan News Agency, and Shakib Ahmad Nazari, a reporter for Japan\u2019s NTV, both of whom were detained and forced to confess to \u201cworking with foreign media.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Bashir Hatif, a journalist for Zhwandun TV, was also arrested and remains in detention.<\/p>\n
RSF added that nationwide internet shutdowns and restrictions on public access to information have become additional tools in the Taliban\u2019s effort to silence independent reporting.<\/p>\n
Afghanistan now ranks 175th out of 180 countries on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, reflecting the severe deterioration of media freedom since the Taliban\u2019s return to power.<\/p>\n
Experts warn that the ongoing repression shows the Taliban\u2019s intent to eliminate independent journalism and suppress public awareness across the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Relentless Crackdown on Journalists in Afghanistan: Taliban Using Forced Confessions and Mass Arrests —————————————— Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has warned that the Taliban are carrying out a new campaign of repression against the media in Afghanistan, using arbitrary arrests and forced confessions to intimidate journalists and restrict press freedom. Videos of these coerced confessions have …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-afghanistan"],"yoast_head":"\n