Date: 09/12/1403

Local sources in Daikundi Province report that Taliban intelligence forces arrested a local journalist, Ehsan Mahdavi, on Friday, February 22. According to the sources, Mahdavi was detained from his home in the Qakhor area of Patu district and transferred to the Taliban’s intelligence facility in Nili.

Sources stated that the Taliban accused Mahdavi of “propaganda against the group” on social media. Mahdavi had returned from Iran three months earlier, where he had gone to continue his studies after the Taliban takeover. He has previously worked with local radio stations in Daikundi and for the Pajhwok Afghan News.

Separately, sources reported that Taliban forces also re-arrested Mohammad Asif Faizyar, the director of the “Nidaye Baloch” Telegram channel, in Herat. The incidents occur amid ongoing restrictions on media, with multiple journalists reportedly detained by the Taliban across the country.

The arrest of journalists in Daikundi and Herat on accusations of “propaganda” reflects the Taliban’s continued use of intelligence services to criminalize media work and online expression. By targeting journalists for social media activity and prior reporting, the authorities suppress independent information flows and foster a climate of fear within local media ecosystems. These arrests form part of a broader pattern of intimidation, detention, and silencing of journalists nationwide.