Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, has said that the Taliban continue to detain journalists and suspend the activities of media outlets in Afghanistan for unclear reasons.
Guterres said in a new report on Afghanistan published on Wednesday, September 16, that in one case, the Taliban detained three journalists for periods ranging from 19 days to two months and also suspended the activities of two media outlets.
The report said that one of the suspended media outlets resumed its activities after one week, while the other remains suspended.
The UN Secretary-General added that the detention of journalists and suspension of media outlets by Taliban authorities were carried out without providing clear reasons.
Guterres emphasized in the report that concerns remain over the state of media freedom and the situation of journalists in Afghanistan.
The remarks come as restrictions imposed by the Taliban on the activities of media outlets and journalists in Afghanistan have increased, while access to information has also become more difficult.
The detention of journalists, suspension of media activities, and restrictions on access to information have created challenges for independent reporting in the country.
