3 journalists released in Baghlan a day after arrest

KABUL (Pajhwok): Three journalists arrested a day ago in northern Baghlan province were released on Thursday following calls for their release from media supporting organizations.

Baghlan Information and Culture director Maulvi Mustafa Hashmi told Pajhwok Afghan News the journalists were called to a government department for explanation about an issue and they had returned to their job.

He said there was no impediment to media organizations in Baghlan instead they had been provided with more facilities.

“The local administration has created facilities for media organizations and therefore a new media outlet has also started functioning in the province. The government has the authority to call its officials for explanation about an issue.”

Hashmi said the government was committed to cooperating with media outlets and journalists and the three had been called to give explanation not to detain them.

Private TV channel Tanveer official Haris Seyyar confirmed Ghulam Ali Wahdat and his two colleagues had been released. He said the three were arrested yesterday and released today.

Meanwhile, RTA provincial head Maulvi Yasir also confirmed the release of their two workers. “Our two workers were called for explanation about an issue yesterday, the issue has been resolved and they have returned to their job.”

Earlier today, two journalist bodies said three journalists had been arrested by security forces in Baghlan province and demanded their release, saying such cases should be followed through the Media Complaints and Violations Commission.

In a statement, the Free Journalists of Afghanistan Union, said that Ghulam Ali Wahdat, a reporter with Tanveer TV and RTA journalists Sayed Noor Agha, and cameraman Safiullah were arrested by security forces in Baghlan on Wednesday.

“The evidence we obtained shows these journalists committed no violations and the officials of the Ministry of Information and Culture have also informed us of their efforts to free the journalists.”

The journalist union once against insisted on the release of these journalists and asked security authorities and other institutions of the Islamic Emirate to investigate the issue through legal channels.

The source wrote: “It has been said these reporters were invited to the entrance gates of Pul-i-Khumri about three weeks ago to cover how the province’s security is being ensured.”

“The preliminary information shows each of these reporters prepared their reports in the presence of a number of local officials, but apparently the report of the RTA was not in accordance with the version of the officials,” it added.

The union also said that according to the media law, journalists were free to do their professional work and the officials should not create hurdles or threaten them during their work, but instead should support them.

The Ministry of Information and Culture said three days ago that it was investigating issues related to the media and journalists in the country through the Media Complaints and Violations Commission and no other department had the right to interfere in the affairs of the media and the work of journalists.

sa/ma