Date: 19/10/1403

A Taliban first-instance court in the third zone of Kabul sentenced journalist Mehdi Ansari to one year and six months in prison on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Emirate.” The ruling, seen by Ettelaat-e-Rooz, states that the trial was held approximately one week prior and was issued by Taliban judges Sakhi Dad Rasekh and Hedayatullah Rahmani.

Mehdi Ansari was arrested on October 6 from western Kabul. He worked as a reporter for an Afghan news agency website. Sources told Ettelaat-e-Rooz that his arrest was linked to content published on his personal YouTube channel.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center reported that between January 1, 2023, and January 30, 2024, it documented 181 violations against media and journalists, including 131 threats and 50 arrests. At least five journalists were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to five years. More recently, the Taliban arrested seven employees of the private TV channel Arezoo in Kabul and referred them to court; details of their case remain unclear.

The sentencing of Mehdi Ansari to prison for “propaganda” reflects the Taliban’s criminalization of journalistic expression and use of the judiciary to suppress independent media. By prosecuting content shared on a personal platform, the authorities extend censorship beyond formal newsrooms to individual speech. This case forms part of a broader pattern of arrests, prosecutions, and intimidation aimed at dismantling media freedom and silencing dissent.