Short detention of Afghan journalist draws attention

Afghan reported Sharif Hasanyar was detained and held for 30 hours on Monday while on his way to meet with Afghan police, RFE/RL reported today. The journalist and editor for a Kabul television station was on his way to the National Security Department for an hour of questioning when he was detained. Hasanyar caught the attention of the police department because he had made contact with Mohammed Hanif, a recently-arrested Taliban spokesman.

Hasanyar’s detention was met with outrage by some Afghan parliamentarians and nongovernmental organizations. They warned that arresting journalists constitutes a severe violation of Afghan law. The Information and Culture Minister of Afghanistan has labeled the detention illegal.

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