The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has condemned the closure of the Kabul office of Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) and the arrest of one of its journalists by the Taliban Ministry of Justice, calling for the detained journalist to be released and the news agency to be reopened.
The center said in a statement on Tuesday, September 29, that the Taliban Ministry of Justice closed the offices of the Tebyan Center and Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) in Kabul’s Dasht-e Barchi area last Thursday.
The Tebyan Center is a religious and cultural organization affiliated with the Shia community, and Afghan Voice Agency operates under its supervision.
According to the statement, Zamen Ali Chawoshi, an AVA journalist, and five employees of the Tebyan Center were arrested after reporting to the Ministry of Justice in Kabul on Saturday, September 26.
The center said that despite the closure of the Afghan Voice Agency’s office, its website and social media accounts remained accessible, and its latest reports were published two days ago.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center added that the Taliban have so far not explained the closure of the Afghan Voice Agency’s office or the arrest of the media outlet’s journalist.
The center called for the detained journalist’s immediate and unconditional release and the reopening of Afghan Voice Agency, and urged the Taliban to provide conditions for the media outlet’s employees to work freely.
