The Afghanistan Journalists Center says that 12 journalists were detained by employees of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice while covering a book exhibition in Khost city, and that their cameras were confiscated.
According to the center, the incident took place at around 9:30 a.m. today in the second district of Khost city.
The Journalists Center says the journalists had gone to cover the three-day book exhibition at the invitation of the Khost Department of Information and Culture. However, officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice prevented them from taking pictures and conducting interviews.
According to a local source, the journalists were subsequently taken to the ministry’s office in front of the public and were made to walk for about 10 minutes, while their cameras were confiscated.
According to the source, the journalists were later told to return to their homes. However, about four hours after the incident, they had still not received their cameras back.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center condemned the incident and called on the Taliban to return the journalists’ equipment and respect their human dignity and professional rights.
According to the center, the ban on publishing images of living beings has not yet been officially announced to media outlets in Khost. However, local journalists have faced unofficial pressure in this regard.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center called for an end to humiliating treatment of journalists and urged that they be provided with a safe environment where they can carry out their professional work without fear.
