Rallies off; scribes hit in detention, claims editor
KABUL: Protest organisers cancelled rallies in Kabul on Thursday after the Taliban regime effectively banned demonstrations, warning violators “will face severe legal action”.
Separately, the media community in Afghanistan received a setback after it emerged that two local journalists were beaten in police custody this week after covering a protest by women in the capital city. Their editor said they had been detained.
Zaki Daryabi, founder and editor-in-chief of the Etilaat Roz newspaper, shared images on social media of two male reporters, one with large, red welts across his lower back and legs, and the other with similar marks on his shoulder and arm. Both men’s faces were bruised and cut in the pictures, which were verified by Reuters.
Earlier this week, armed fighters dispersed hundreds of protesters in cities across the country, including in Kabul, Faizabad and Herat, where two people were shot dead.
Late Wednesday, the Taliban moved to snuff out any further civil unrest, saying protests would need prior authorisation from the justice ministry, adding “for the time being”, no demonstrations were allowed.
There was a noticeably stronger Taliban presence on the streets of Kabul on Thursday morning as armed fighters - including special forces in military fatigues - stood guard on street corners and manned checkpoints, according to AFP journalists.
An organiser of a protest outside the Pakistan embassy where gunmen sprayed shots
into the air on Tuesday to disperse a rally - told AFP on
Thursday it had been cancelled because of the overnight ban. At the site of another planned protest in the city, there were no signs of a demonstration.