/ / Urgent Action: FILMMAKER ARBITRARILY DETAINED [Afghanistan 7.25]

FILMMAKER ARBITRARILY DETAINED [Afghanistan 7.25]

UA: 7.25 Afghanistan

Only 6 days left to join us and support this case!

Sayed Rahim Saidi, a 57-year-old filmmaker, managing director, and producer of Anar Media, a YouTube based broadcaster, was arrested by members of the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) District 40 on July 14, 2024 near his office. He has been sentenced to three years in prison and is currently serving his sentence in Pol-e-Charkhi prison. During his initial trial, on December 18, 2024, the court accused him of spreading propaganda against the Taliban de facto authorities. Saidi is severely ill, suffering from lumbar disc herniation and prostate issues, yet he does not have access to adequate healthcare, including required medication, and is kept in a cold prison cell. Between July and December, while he was held in GDI District 40, he was allegedly subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including solitary confinement, and was denied access to the medicine sent by his family. Saidi must be immediately and unconditionally released.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: April 24, 2025

Take action

Step 1

Write your letter

Enter your email address and zip code to get the sample letter to send to government officials

Thank you for signing up!

You can now write a letter in your own words or download the sample below as a guide. A copy of the sample has also been sent to your email address.

Remember to send your letter by April 24, 2025.

Download PDF

Download Word

Sample Letter

Dear Mr. Abdul Haq Wasiq,

I am concerned about the arbitrary arrest and detention of filmmaker, Sayed Rahim Saidi.

On July 14, 2024, Sayed Rahim Saidi and his son were arbitrarily arrested by members of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI). His son was released after interrogation; however, Saidi was kept in GDI for further interrogation. He was then accused of spreading propaganda against the Taliban de facto authorities, a charge based on his past films as well as a new film he was planning to work on addressing the ban on girls’ education by the Taliban. On December 19, 2024, the filmmaker was unfairly tried at the Taliban court in Kabul, without access to a defense lawyer. Deprived of a fair trial, in absence of defense lawyer and fear of extended imprisonment period, Saidi accepted the verdict. Since his arrest, Saidi has been seriously ill with lumbar disc herniation and prostate issues, without access to adequate healthcare or the medicine he needs.

I urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Sayed Rahim Saidi. Pending his release, he must be granted immediate access to lawyers and adequate healthcare, and he must be held in conditions that meet international standards for the treatment of prisoners and protected from torture and other ill-treatment.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Sample Social Post

The Taliban @GDI1415 have arbitrarily arrested & detained filmmaker Sayed Rahim Saidi since July 2024. He has been denied fair trial, adequate healthcare, and medicine as his health deteriorates. @GDI1415 must immediately & unconditionally release Saidi. #FreeSaidi

Share to Twitter

Step 2

Send your letter

Mail your letter to the government officials listed below. You can also email, fax, call, or post about them on social media.

Send your letter to:

Mr. Abdul Haq Wasiq, Director of Intelligence

Email Only [U.S. Postal Service is unable to deliver mail to Afghanistan]

[email protected] @GDI1415

and

No Domestic Postal Address

There are no physical addresses available for this UA, so please take action through social media and email

@MoFA_Afg

When writing your letter, don’t forget to be factual, brief, and show respect. See more letter writing tips and emails, or organize and host a letter writing party.

Additional Resources and Ways to Act

See our tips for writing effective letters and emails.

Take More Action

Extend your impact with these opportunities to fight for the human rights of more individuals at risk around the world.

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER ON HUNGER STRIKE [Second UA 76.24 Tunisia]

UA : Second 76.24 Tunisia

On January 14, 2025, the 14th anniversary of the Tunisian revolution, prominent human rights defender, Sihem Bensedrine, announced an open-ended hunger strike to pro…

Send an Email

SIX MEN AT RISK OF EXECUTION AFTER GROSSLY UNFAIR TRIAL [Iran 6.25]

UA : 6.25 Iran

Six men – Abolhassan Montazer, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi, Pouya Ghobadi, and Vahid Bani Amerian – are at risk of execut…

Send an Email

FREE IMPRISONED HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

UA : Second 109.24 Türkiye

Prominent human rights defender Nimet Tanrıkulu has been in held in pre-trial detention in Ankara’s Sincan women’s prison since November 29, 2024, accused of �…

View Action

Receive timely opportunities to speak out for people whose human rights are under attack.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Global Opt-in

This field is hidden when viewing the form

UAN Opt-in

Name*

Email*

Mobile Number

By providing your mobile number, you are signing up to receive calls, recurring messages from Amnesty International USA. Reply STOP to quit. Msg and data rates may apply. Privacy & Terms.

CAPTCHA