ZABUL (Khaamapress): Reports emerged that Reza Shaheer, a leading journalist of ‘Rah-e-Farda’ TV channel who had freshly returned from Iran, was arrested in Zabul and taken to an unknown place, while Taliban provincial officials rejected his arrest.
Previously, Reza Shaheer had been detained by the de facto authorities of Afghanistan, which forced him to move to Iran to get a French visa. Upon his return from Iran, he was arrested on the Kabul-Herat highway in the Shah Joye area of Zabul province and has been transferred to an undisclosed area.
Meanwhile, a local journalist of Khaama Press in Zabul province shared the arrest of Reza Shaheer with the provincial spokesperson and the Department of Information and Culture of the province. Both sources rejected the detention of the local Afghan journalist.
It is reported that the de facto authorities’ intelligence unit has detained Reza Shaheer, and deliberately falsifies the news. Prior to this, several local and international journalists and media workers were detained by the Taliban authorities who publicly denied the detentions.
Zakria Hassani, a journalist and former coworker of Reza Shaheer wrote on his Facebook page quoting from Shaheer’s family member that “he was detained by the Taliban authorities for a third time.”
According to Mr. Hassani, Reza Shaheer had just returned from Iran for his visa had expired. While he was on his way to Kabul, Taliban officials detained him in Zabul province.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan Journalists’ Support Organization which supports Afghan Journalists has confirmed the news of Reza Shaheer’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.
