Taliban fighters detain, beat journalists covering protests in Afghanistan

Two Afghanistan journalists covering the women’s protests in Kabul have been detained and severely beaten by Taliban security forces, Human Rights Watch has said.

Taqi Daryabi and Nemat Naqdi, from the Kabul-based media outlet Etilaat-e Roz, were detained and attacked on Tuesday.

The pair had been covering protests by women in the Afghan capital calling for an end to Taliban violations of the rights of women and girls.

The Taliban authorities took the two men to a police station and put them in separate cells before severely beating them with cables, according to Etilaat-e Roz.

They were both released on Wednesday and have been receiving medical treatment in hospital for injuries to their backs and faces.

Human Rights Watch said the Taliban has been detaining and assaulting journalists, imposing new restrictions on media work – and demanded it stops the assaults and drop the restrictions.

The organisation said Taliban members responsible for attacks against protesters and journalists should be appropriately punished.

Human Rights Watch also reported that the Taliban authorities also detained a photojournalist named Wahid Ahmadi from Tolonews on Tuesday and released him later that day.

Relevant authorities reportedly confiscated his camera and prevented other journalists from filming the protest.

The Taliban has repeatedly promised to uphold women’s rights since seizing power last month.

Many Afghans and international observers are deeply sceptical, with reports of fighters already breaking their pledge.

Earlier this week, male and female students were segregated by a curtain down the middle of a classroom in one university in Kabul.