The Franco-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi was arrested on January 7 in Kabul while he was just doing his job: reporting on Taliban Afghanistan. His family, relatives and the Reporters sans Frontières association are mobilized to get him out of prison, as well as the many French media (France 2, Mediapart, Liberation, Arte, Radio France, etc.) for which he worked. But to this day, despite numerous steps taken with the Taliban movement, he remains deprived of his freedom.
For a few weeks, his family has obtained visitation rights. His aunt and cousin, who live in Afghanistan, are allowed to see him, can bring him food and send him messages. According to his relatives, related to the general situation of the prison in which he is, Mortaza Behboudi is treated “about right”. But that does not detract from the seriousness of his case. Because he is being prosecuted for espionage, a false charge, used to silence Afghan women as well as humanitarian workers or members of civil society.
“The problem with this accusation, worries journalist Solène Chalvon, who is working tirelessly to free Mortaza Behboudi, it is that, in general, it is employed by the GDI (General Directorate of Intelligence), the body of the secret services, which inspires fear even within the Taliban movement. It was these secret services that not only decided on Mortaza’s arrest, but also decided to keep him in prison for so long. Our interlocutors are at ministerial level: the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Information and Culture, Ministry of the Interior. Paradoxically, these three ministries have no difficulty in recognizing that there has been a problem and that there are individuals much more disturbing and dangerous than Mortaza inside their prisons, which could mean that ‘He’s not going to stay locked up too long. But the blockage always comes from the same brains, the same heads within the Taliban secret services who are all-powerful on this issue..
Mortaza Behboudi has no place in prison, because journalism is not a crime. But for him to come out, the Taliban must overcome their internal divisions, and his entourage is wary: the last promises of release have never succeeded.
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