Two Afghan journalists have been beaten and tortured by the Afghan police following their arrest after they covered a protest by women in Kabul, according to their editor.
Zaki Daryabi, founder and editor-in-chief of the Etilaat Roz newspaper, shared the images of the two journalists’ bruised bodies. Large red welts are clearly visible on their backs. They allege that the police beat and tortured them in the police station for four hours.
The history of #Afghanistan journalism always remember the first day of #Taliban cabinet announcement and this photo of @etilaatroz journalists who were tortured by Taliban force.
— Zaki Daryabi (@ZDaryabi) September 9, 2021
Photo: @yamphoto pic.twitter.com/xGCebQxAuY
"Five colleagues were kept in a detention centre for more than 4 hours, and during these four hours two of our colleagues were beaten and tortured brutally," he told Reuters on Thursday, the day after the incident.
"No action has been taken against this act of violence. Why were we treated this way and beaten so brutally for doing our job?" Etilaatroz reporter, Aber Shaygan, told TRT World adding that his colleagues were not able to walk after they were released from detention.
"When I saw them they were in a bad state. At least 10 people have beaten them, with kicks and slaps and cables. They fainted so many times during their detention."
The Centre for the Protection of Journalists have condemned the incident. The Taliban must immediately cease detaining journalists in Afghanistan, end the use of violence against them, and allow the media to operate freely and without fear of reprisal.
An unnamed Taliban minister told Reuters that any attack on journalists would be investigated.
