British journalist Andrew North, a former BBC correspondent, and one other foreigner held whereas on task with the UN refugee company.
Two worldwide journalists who have been on an task for the UN refugee company have been detained within the Afghan capital, the company has mentioned.
“Two journalists on task with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them have been detained in Kabul,” the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees company (UNHCR) mentioned in a tweet.
“We’re doing our utmost to resolve the scenario, in coordination with others,” it mentioned, including it might not present any additional info.
One of many journalists is Andrew North, a British former BBC correspondent who has lined Afghanistan for about 20 years and frequently travelled to the war-ravaged nation to report on its deteriorating humanitarian disaster.
“Andrew was in Kabul working for the UNHCR & attempting to assist the folks of Afghanistan,” his spouse Natalia Antelava wrote in a tweet.
“We’re extraordinarily involved for his security & name on anybody with affect to assist safe his launch.”
Taliban authorities spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid mentioned the authorities have been trying into the matter.
“We now have obtained details about this and are attempting to verify whether or not they have been detained or not,” Mujahid mentioned.
There was no indication what prompted the detentions.
UN companies make use of journalists to report on their work around the globe.
For the reason that Taliban took over the nation in August, considerations have grown over a crackdown on dissent. The UN has repeatedly raised alarm over lacking girls’s rights activists in latest weeks.
Safety has vastly improved because the Taliban defeated NATO-backed Afghan forces, however the hardline group has forcefully cracked down on journalists, with native reporters paying the heaviest value.
No less than 50 Afghan media employees have been arrested or detained by the police or the Taliban’s intelligence company, Reporters With out Borders mentioned in a report earlier this month.
The arrests, typically accompanied by violence, have lasted from a number of hours to just about every week, the Paris-based press freedoms watchdog mentioned.
Afghanistan has lengthy been one of many world’s most harmful international locations for the information media.
A number of journalists, together with girls, have been killed in a spree of focused assaults blamed on the Taliban within the build-up to their offensive to take again management.
International nations have refused to recognise the Taliban-led administration, however have ramped up engagement as they attempt to avert an enormous humanitarian disaster stemming from an financial system stalled by sanctions and a halt in improvement funding because the group took over.
A Taliban delegation visited Geneva this week for talks with support companies and conferences with Swiss officers. The Swiss overseas ministry mentioned it deliberate to name on the Taliban to respect human rights and worldwide humanitarian regulation.