Updated on April 12, 2026
AFJC documented at least 34 cases of journalists and media workers arrested in 2025—below is the profile of four of whom remain in detention as of today:
Shakib Ahmad Nazari
Organization: NTV Japan
Location: Kabul
Date of Detention: July 23, 2025
Charges: Alleged anti-de facto propaganda
Background and Details:
Shakib Ahmad Nazari was detained by members of the de facto General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) in Kabul on July 23, 2025. He was subsequently sentenced by a Taliban military court to three years in prison. Court documents indicate that Nazari was convicted of propagating information critical of the Taliban de facto regime, including reports on the ban on girls’ higher education, women losing employment, an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the de facto leaders, allegations of sexual assault by de facto security forces, and reports from the exiled Hasht-e-Sub Daily on violence against women. On August 21, 2025, Nazari appeared in a GDI-produced video confessing to cooperating with foreign and exiled media and engaging in propaganda against the regime.
According to a journalist close to Nazari, he was actively gathering daily news in Afghanistan and sharing updates with the NTV team via WhatsApp. The Taliban authorities have not publicly commented on Nazari’s situation or trial. A family contact confirmed that on March 18, 2026, Nazari was transferred from GDI detention in Kabul to Bagram Prison in Parwan Province.
Bashir Hatef
Organization: Freelance Journalist; Member of the Board, Afghanistan’s Journalists and Media Organizations Federation
Location: Kabul
Date of Detention: July 23, 2025
Charges: Alleged anti-de facto propaganda
Background and Details:
Bashir Hatef was detained by Taliban de facto forces from the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) in Kabul on July 23, 2025. He is accused of maintaining connections with international organizations including UNAMA and UNESCO, and of reporting on restrictions of media freedom, the detention and torture of journalists in the GDI detention centers, and advocating against the de facto regime through his reporting. He is also accused of obtaining funds purportedly to support projects for women journalists in Afghanistan.
Abuzar (Sarem) Sar-e-puli
Organization: Director, Tawana News Agency; Member of the Board, Afghanistan’s Journalists and Media Organizations Federation
Location: Kabul
Date of Detention: July 23, 2025
Charges: Spying for foreign countries, moral corruption, anti-de facto propaganda
Background and Details:
Abuzar Sar-e-puli was detained by officers of the de facto General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) in Kabul on July 23, 2025. He faces multiple charges, including espionage for foreign states, moral corruption, and disseminating propaganda against the de facto regime. Allegations also encompass organizing journalism training for women, receiving foreign funding, and passing secret reports to media outlets considered hostile to Islam. On July 31, 2026, Sar-e-puli appeared in a GDI-produced video confessing to “spying for foreign powers” and engaging in “widespread moral corruption.”
AFJC Documented Over 50 Journalists and Media Workers Arrested in 2024, with One Remaining in Detention to Date
Hamid Farhadi
Organization: Etilaat Roz Newspaper
Location: Kabul
Date of Detention: September 3, 2024
Charges: Alleged anti-de facto propaganda
Background and Details:
Hamid Farhadi was arbitrarily detained by Taliban de facto forces from the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul. He was accused of collaborating with Etilaat Roz, an independent newspaper operating from exile. Farhadi was reportedly detained for interviewing women deprived of higher education and those dismissed from public and private sectors following the Taliban's return to power. On October 5, 2024, a Taliban court sentenced him to two years in prison. His detention appears to be linked to his journalistic work covering sensitive issues related to women's rights and education.