Afghan Warrior

Three Afghan journalists were arrested by intelligence officials in eastern Kunar province last week on Friday and Saturday. All three journalists went there to provide news for their news agencies. Two journalists, Sher Shah Hamdard and Rohullah Anwari, are reporters with Radio Azadi and Radio Europe. Another detained journalist is Dr Shoaib, working as a photographer for the American news agency Associated Press. Asadullah Wafa, the governor of Kunar province, confirmed the arrests and said they will release the journalists after an investigation. He said he was in contact with the provincial officials to secure the release of the detained journalists. The journalists had gone to the Kunar province to do follow up stories on a US Military operation against insurgents who shot down an American chopper in the troubled eastern province. According to an official, the journalists were beaten up in custody. Interior ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mshal said the journalists had contact with the insurgents and they were trying to publish the enemies propaganda and enemies want to change people's mind with their anti-government propaganda. Afghanistan's Independent Journalists Association {AIJA} expressed grave concern at the health condition of one of the three journalists detained in the eastern province over the weekend. The journalists shifted to Kabul on Monday after they were arrested in Kunar province. AIJA head Rahimullah, who visited the three journalists in custody in Kabul Monday evening, said they had gone to cover an ongoing US military operation and they were detained without any specific charge and they are in custody without any legal process or evidence of any wrongdoing against them. He also said that the jail authorities told me to ask the inmates about their health and officials' behavior towards them and they reminded me not to ask the journalists about possible political motives behind their arrest. All three journalists are still in government custody. When they are released I will post an update about their release and the main reason for their arrest.