KABUL, Jan 10, 2011
The Afghanistan Journalists Center(AFJC) is strongly condemning the illegal detention of Asadullah Waheedi, editor in chief of Sarnavesht Daily, by the Office of the Attorney General in Kabul and asks for his immediate release.
Waheedi was detained Sunday around the midday after he went to the Office of the Attorney General to give explainations about a recent report published by the daily because of which he was summoned there.
The Office of Attorney General acted on request from the National Security Advisor Rangin Dandfar Spanta whose name appeared in the report which is mainly about formation of an illegal armed group in Herat province by Spanta's brother.
Hamid Naseri, proprietor of Sarnavesht Daily, told the Center to Support Journalists of Afghanistan that 'it was totally absurd' to draw any linkage between the report and detention of the editor. He said Waheedi's detention was rather based on personal enmity of Spanta with him.
Naseri said the report was about an illegal armed group which was reportedly created by Spanta's brother Waheed Taheri who had dismissed his involvement as quoted in the story.
“We have been impartial in doing the story as we have already contacted Taheri and had his quote in the report,” said Naseri.