Islamabad, Feb 6, (dpa/GNA) – Press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and 14 French media outlets and production companies, on Monday called on the Taliban to release Mortaza Behboudi, a French-Afghan reporter, who has been imprisoned for a month in Kabul.
“For the past month, we have done everything possible, in various capacities, to obtain his release,” RSF and the organizations where Behboudi worked said in a statement. “His imprisonment is truly absurd.”
The Taliban authorities, have not yet made a comment about the case.
According to the statement, Behboudi took refuge in France years ago, and worked with well-known French media outlets.
Last month, he returned to Afghanistan for the purpose of reporting, but was arrested before being able to collect his press accreditation.
The Taliban, who initially arrested Behboudi for not showing his accreditation, are said to be accusing him of “spying.”
The Taliban, has imposed restrictions on media and free expression since they retook power in August 2021. The extremists have regularly detained local Afghan journalists, with some reporting abuse and torture after their release. A large number of Afghan journalists live in exile, since the Taliban returned to power.
GNA