MONITORING (SW) – Following the arrest of three TOLO news employees by the Islamic Emirate’s intelligence forces, the Moby media group – owner of Tolo – has deleted a statement it posted last night about stopping the broadcast of foreign serials.
Moby Media Group announced yesterday that the Ministry of Promoting the Good and Forbidding the Evil of the Islamic Emirate has banned the network from broadcasting any foreign serials. Hours after the statement was broadcast, Islamic Emirate intelligence forces entered the office of Tolo News and arrested three employees of the media organisation.
A source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that after the TV channel announced the news by the Ministry of Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil about banning foreign drama serials, the intelligence forces of the Islamic Emirate entered Tolo News and took away three of its employees, the news chief Khaplwak Safi, news anchor Bahram Aman, and Abdullah Nafe, head of the media’s legal department.
The source added that they do not yet know the fate of their colleagues and it is not clear where they were transferred to.
Meanwhile, Lutfollah Najafizada, the former head of Tolo News, wrote on Twitter that Khaplwak Safi and another employee who worked in the legal department of Tolo News, had been released, but Bahram Aman is still in the custody of the Islamic Emirate’s intelligence forces.
Later, Sebghatullah Sepehr, a presenter for political programs, confirmed on Facebook that his colleague Bahram Aman had been released by the forces of the Islamic Emirate.
The Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed concern over the “arbitrary” detention of TOLO News staff by Islamic Emirate intelligence forces. UNAMA wrote on Twitter that all those detained by the intelligence forces of the Islamic Emirate should be released.
UNAMA has also called for an end to intimidation and threats against journalists and independent media.
The officials of the Islamic Emirate have not yet said anything about this.
ENDS
