/ / Urgent Action: RELEASE JOURNALIST CONVICTED OF PROPAGANDA [Afghanistan 11.25]

RELEASE JOURNALIST CONVICTED OF PROPAGANDA [Afghanistan 11.25]

UA: 11.25 Afghanistan

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Mahdi Ansari, 27, is a journalist who was working with Afghan News Agency. On October 5, 2024, he was arrested by members of the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence District 40 near his office. He has been sentenced to one and a half years imprisonment. During his initial trial, on January 1, 2025, in absence of his family and defense lawyer, the court accused him of spreading propaganda against the Taliban de facto authorities due to his journalistic reports and Facebook posts. While in detention, Mahdi Ansari has faced ill-treatment, including solitary confinement, his mental health has deteriorated, and he has been denied regular family visits. His family was able to meet him after one month of his arbitrary detention and for five minutes only. He 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: May 4, 2025

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Sample Letter

Dear Mr. Abdul Haq Wasiq,

I am writing to express my concern about the arbitrary arrest and detention of journalist Mahdi Ansari.

On October 5, 2024, Mahdi Ansari was arbitrarily arrested by members of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) District 40 near his office in Dasht-e-Barchi area. During his interrogation and detention, he was subjected to ill-treatment including being kept in solitary confinement. His mental health has also severely deteriorated.

On January 1, 2025, Mahdi Ansari was unfairly tried at the Taliban court in Kabul, without access to a defense lawyer and in absence of his family. The Taliban judge accused him of propaganda against the Taliban de facto authorities, referring to his past reports and peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression. He was sentenced to one and half years in prison. Mahdi Ansari is still being held in the GDI 40, where his family are now allowed to visit him only once a week where they can talk only for five to six minutes via telephone through a glass window.

I urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Mahdi Ansari. Pending his release, ensure that he is held in conditions meeting international standards and has regular access to adequate healthcare, legal representation, and family visits. Finally, I urge you to stop the practices of arbitrary detention, and torture and other ill-treatment of people working to defend human rights including those peacefully promoting social change and non-discrimination.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Sample Social Post

The Taliban have arbitrarily arrested & imprisoned journalist Mahdi Ansari solely for peacefully exercising his human rights. He has been denied fair trial, access to a lawyer, and regular family visit. @GDI1415 must immediately & unconditionally release Ansari

Tweet @GDI1415 to Release Mahdi Ansari

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. Abdul Haq Wasiq, Director of Intelligence

USPS does not mail postage to Afghanistan; please take action via email and social media

[email protected] @GDI1415

and

No Domestic Embassy

No Domestic Postal Address

@MoFA_Afg

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