KABUL, Jan 12, 2011
Asadullah Waheedi, editor in chief of Sarnavesht Daily, has been released after 30 years in detention by the Office of Attorney General in Kabul.
He was summoned upon request from the National Security Advisor's Office and was held for interrogations about a recent report published in his paper. The report linked the National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta to creation of an illegal armed group in Herat.
Mr Waheedi told the Afghanistan Journalists Center that he was held in a jail where criminals were kept and had no permission to call his family and friends during the 30 hours of custody.
Hamid Naseri, proprietor of Sarnavesht Daily, 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.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center asks the government of Afghanistan to end illegal detention and journalists and to settle any legal issues through the officially assigned Media Violations Commission.