/ / Urgent Action: JOURNALIST SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS FOR ‘PROPAGANDA’

JOURNALIST SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS FOR ‘PROPAGANDA’

UA: 48.25 Afghanistan

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Hamid Farhadi, a journalist working with an independent newspaper operating in exile, was arrested by members of the Taliban Ministry of Interior on September 3, 2024. He was sentenced to two years in prison on September 19, without any access to legal representation. The court accused him of spreading propaganda through his journalistic reports about the situation of women and girls in the country. On March 28, 2025, without explanation or prior notice, Farhadi was transferred from Pol- Charkhi Prison to the notorious Bagram Prison. His family are only allowed to visit him once a month, for 30 minutes. Hamid Farhadi must be immediately and unconditionally released as he is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: August 31, 2025

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Step 1

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Remember to send your letter by August 31, 2025.

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Sample Letter

Dear Mr. Mufti Abdul Matin Qane,

I am concerned about the arbitrary arrest and detention of journalist Hamid Farhadi.

On September 3, 2024, Hamid Farhadi was arbitrarily arrested by members of the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior from his home in Kabul. He was subsequently accused of propaganda against the Taliban de facto authorities. This charge appears to be based on his work as a journalist working with exile-based media company – Etilaatroz – and reporting on the national ban of girl’s education.

I find it alarming to learn that during his interrogation and detention, Hamid Farhadi was subjected to ill treatment including being kept in solitary confinement. Throughout this entire ordeal, Farhadi has been denied a lawyer to represent him, and his family are only allowed to visit him once a month for 30 minutes in the presence of a Taliban soldier.

Hamid Farhadi’s arbitrary detention and lack of legal representation are a clear violation of his rights to freedom of expression and fair trial guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Afghanistan is a state party.

I urge you to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Hamid Farhadi. Pending his release, ensure that he is held in conditions meeting international standards of fairness and that he has regular access to adequate healthcare, legal representation, and family visits. Finally, stop the practices of arbitrary detention and torture and other ill-treatment of people working to defend human rights.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Step 2

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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. Mufti Abdul Matin Qane, MOI Spokesman, Ministry of Interior

*Note: No Postal address for this UA

[email protected]

and

Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

*No postal addresses for this UA

@MoFA_Afg

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