From left to right: Radio Nasim reporters Mojtaba Qasemi and Saifullah Rezaei, alongside Radio Manager Sultan Ali Jawadi, were detained by GDI in Nili, the capital of Daikundi province on October 7, 2023.
October 18, 2023
Nili, Daikundi province-Two reporters from Radio Nasim, operating in Central Daikundi province, have been recently released after being held in custody for a period of ten days. However, the manager of the radio station continues to remain detained. Since the closure of Radio Nasim by the local administration three weeks ago, there has been no official authorization for its reopening. The Afghanistan Journalists Center(AFJC) welcomes the release of the reporters and is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the director.
According to a source in Daikundi, reporters Saifullah Rezaei and Mojtaba Qasemi were released after posting bail, but the manager Sultan Ali Jawadi is still being held by the General Directorate of Intelligence in Daikundi Province. This is the second time that these three employees of Radio Nasim have been arrested by the intelligence agency, with the most recent arrest occurring on October 7th.
On September 27th, the General Directorate of Intelligence in Daikundi stormed the office of Radio Nasim in Nili city, confiscating the employees' working tools and sealing the gate. The same day, Sultan Ali Jawadi, Saifullah Rezaei, and Mojtaba Qasemi were arrested and taken to the intelligence office in Nili. While the employees were released after five hours of interrogation, their mobile phones were not returned.
So far, the local Taliban officials in Daikundi have not made any official statements regarding the continued arrest of the manager and the ban on the radio's operation. However, a local source revealed that a group of Daikundi elders and journalists visited the governor's office in an attempt to secure the detainees' release and reopen Radio Nasim. Acting provincial governor Mohammad Noorkhalil alleged that the journalists had cooperated with foreign media organizations and deliberately infringed upon the Taliban's media guidelines, therefore warranting prosecution.
AFJC strongly condemns the continued arrest of Sultan Ali Jawadi and the prohibition on the radio's activities, citing a violation of the country's media law. AFJC demands the immediate release of Jawadi and the reopening of Radio Nasim. The media law explicitly allows journalists and media professionals to independently carry out their work without restrictions or threats, and emphasizes the need for support from authorities.
During the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, there were five private media outlets operating in Daikundi province. However, following the fall of the government, the offices of two private radio stations (Daikundi and Aftab) as well as Sabzaha TV were looted, with significant equipment stolen. The remaining equipment of these three media outlets was confiscated by the GDI under the pretext of it being government property.
Presently, Seday-e- Qarya (Voice of Village) radio is the only remaining private local radio operating in Daikundi. However, it is facing numerous economic challenges and restriction, and there is a possibility that it may cease operations if the current situation persists.