Ghazni journalist detained, severally beaten

GHAZNI (Pajhwok): Deputy head of the Journalists Association in southern Ghazni province, Rahmatullah Marjankhel, was detained and savagely beaten on Wednesday by Taliban security personnel.

Marjankhel, who was released with mediation of other journalists, said two Taliban gunmen detained and beat him after he refused to hand over his mobile to them.

He said the two Taliban men stopped him after he emerged from home. “The armed men asked me to turn in my mobile for investigation, I refused and asked if they had orders for investigating my mobile phone.”

On refusal, he was savagely beaten and taken to the fourth police district, the journalist said. He said he was further beaten at the police station.

He said he could not hear on one ear and doctors told him his ear drum had been ruptured. He said he was kept in custody for two hours and his mobile phone was searched.

Ghazni journalists association head and member of the Journalist Safety Committee, Gulabuddin Ameri, said such personal searches and beating a journalist without any reason was condemnable. He said they had asked the governor to investigate the incident and punish those involved.

Ghazni Governor Khalifa Mohammad Ishaq said no one had the right to intervene in someone’s privacy or beat someone on the road.

He told Pajhwok: “We will definitely ask about the incident. It is very bad. No one has the right to do such thing.” He said he had ordered the police to investigate the incident.

It is noteworthy that similar incidents of violence against journalists have recently increased across the country which has affected their activities.

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