September 6, 2026
Kabul- The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) condemns the closure of Rah-e-Farda TV and the detention of its owner by the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice, occurring just three months after the broadcaster resumed operations in Kabul. AFJC calls for his immediate and unconditional release and the reopening of the TV channel.
A source in Kabul who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, told AFJC that Taliban security forces sealed the office of Rah-e-Farda TV in the Sar-e-Karez area of District 3 in Kabul around 1:00 p.m. local time today, September 6, and detained its owner, Salman Akhlaqi.
According to the source, forces also sealed the office of a local elder in an adjacent building and detained several individuals present there. Citing an official from the de facto Ministry of Justice, the source stated that the action was taken because both buildings are believed to belong to Mohammad Mohaqeq, chairman of the People's Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan and a prominent Afghan politician who has been in exile since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
In February 2025, the de facto ministry of infromation and culture announced that it had suspended Rah-e-Farda TV’s broadcasts and ordered the confiscation of Mohaqeq’s properties, accusing him of supporting Pakistani attacks on Afghanistan.
An employee of Rah-e-Farda informed AFJC that after a suspension of approximately three months, in accordance with the conditions set by the de facto authorities, the station received a new operating license in June 2026 following structural changes. These included appointing Akhlaqi as owner and Rahman Mirzad as executive director. Since the station’s studio and equipment were situated on Mohaqeq’s property, the new management requested and was granted temporary permission from the authorities to remain there, the employee stated.
The employee added that since resuming operations, Rah-e-Farda has faced economic and technical challenges. For about a week, staff had been absent from the office, but the station continued to air pre-recorded programs via satellite.
AFJC said the closure of Rah-e-Farda TV and the detention of its owner violate media freedom and severely threaten the security and independence of the press in Afghanistan. AFJC calls on the Taliban de facto to immediately and unconditionally release Akhlaqi and to allow Rah-e-Farda TV to reopen and operate freely and safely, without fear of arrest or censorship.