Date: 15/09/1403

Taliban Intelligence and Religious Police Raid Arzo TV Office in Kabul, Arrest Seven Staff Members
Agents from the Taliban’s Intelligence Directorate and the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice raided the office of Arzo Television in Kabul, mistreated staff members, confiscated computers, and arrested seven employees before sealing the office.A source in Kabul told the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) that around 9:30 AM on Wednesday, Taliban forces stormed the Arzo TV office located in the Karte 3 area of Kabul. The source stated:“Intelligence agents assaulted one of the station’s security guards, confiscated employees’ phones to prevent them from contacting anyone outside, and interrogated each staff member about their work.”The source, who closely followed the incident, added:“The inspection and questioning continued until 3 PM. Afterwards, seven staff members were detained, including Amanullah Azimi (Kabul office director), Khalid Barakzai (presenter), Amirhossein Ataryan (producer and administrative manager), Zaheer (production manager), and Sami, Haroon, and Baktash (production team members). The Taliban also took the office’s computers.”As of now, neither the Intelligence Directorate nor the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue has commented on the incident. However, according to information from AFJC, a notice posted by the religious police on the office door stated: Due to the broadcast of immoral and indecent serials, this office is sealed until further notice.

This case documents the coordinated use of intelligence and morality enforcement authorities to raid a media outlet, detain staff, confiscate equipment, and suspend operations without disclosed legal process. The sealing of the office on grounds of “immoral and indecent” content reflects the use of vague moral standards to justify censorship, arbitrary detention, and disruption of journalistic work. The absence of any public legal basis, warrant, or procedural safeguards underscores patterns of repression targeting independent media through administrative and security measures rather than transparent judicial action.