ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban detained a woman journalist and her colleagues in Kabul while they were covering Ashura ceremonies, according to Afghanistan International, in what it described as another example of mounting restrictions on press freedom in Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Media Support Organisation (AMSO) said the journalists were arrested on Thursday while reporting on Ashura commemorations, one of the most significant religious observances for the country's Shiite Muslim community.
'Stranger male cameraman'
According to AMSO, the woman journalist was detained for working alongside a male cameraman who was not a relative, with Taliban authorities accusing her of being accompanied by a "stranger male cameraman."
The journalists were taken to a police district in Kabul, where they remained in custody until later that evening.
The journalists were released following mediation by media officials and family members, the AMSO said.
The organization withheld the identities of the woman journalist, the cameraman and the media outlet involved, citing security concerns.
Violation of press freedom
In a statement, AMSO condemned the detention as a violation of freedom of expression and the public's right to access information.
It also accused the Taliban of deliberately preventing media coverage of Ashura ceremonies.
"Covering religious and cultural events is part of the professional responsibilities of the media," the organization said.
