From right: Journalists Nasratullah Ibrahimi, Munir Hadaf, and Asadullah Timoor
June 19, 2025
Talqan, Takhar – A court in Northeast Takhar province has acquitted three local journalists who had been detained for over a month on charges of collaborating with exile media outlets.
A local source in Takhar told AFJC that the de facto primary court held a hearing on Wednesday, June 19, regarding the cases of journalists Nosratullah Ebrahimi, Munir Hadaf, and Asadullah Timoor. The journalists were detained on suspicion of reporting for Afghanistan International Television. The session was conducted publicly, with the presence of the journalists, some of their relatives, and their legal representatives. The source stated that the judge issued a verdict of acquittal and ordered their release.
Freelance journalists Munir Hadaf and Asadullah Timur were detained by de facto provincial police in Taliqan on May 5, and Nosratullah Ebrahimi of Ariana News TV was detained on May 6, on charges of collaborating with exile media outlets.
A local journalist who closely followed the case reported that these journalists spent nine days in the de facto provincial police headquarters, then were transferred to the Department of Intelligence (GDI) for further investigation and held there for 15 days. They were subsequently transferred to the provincial prison for eight days before being released on June 4 on bail, provided by some well-known individuals in Takhar, in observance of Eid al-Adha.
AFJC welcomes the acquittal and release of these three journalists in Takhar and emphasizes that their initial detention was unlawful and that their freedom should not have been restricted. AFJC calls on the relevant de facto authorities to release all other detained journalists without delay and unconditionally, and to allow journalists to exercise their fundamental rights in accordance with the country’s media laws.
According to AFJC’s Afghanistan Press Freedom Tracker, at least 11 journalists and media workers are currently detained or serving prison sentences in the country.