The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) has announced that it strongly condemns the arrest of Nazera Rashidi, a female journalist in Kunduz province.
In a press release issued on Saturday, January 10, the organization said that Rashidi was arrested by the Taliban on Tuesday of last week and subsequently transferred to an unknown location.
According to the statement, Nazera Rashidi is the sole guardian of her underage brothers and sisters. Her family, which has no adult male guardian, has said that she is innocent and has not engaged in any illegal activities.
AMSO has called on the Taliban to immediately and unconditionally release Rashidi, clearly explain the legal grounds for her arrest, and guarantee the safety and rights of female journalists.
The organization has also urged international bodies, freedom of expression advocates, and human rights groups to seriously follow up on the case and take practical measures to prevent the arrest and harassment of female journalists.
This comes as, following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, freedom of expression has been widely restricted, and journalists have repeatedly faced arrest, threats, and multiple instances of violence.
