(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called for the immediate release of Ezatullah Zawab, editor of the bi-monthly “Meena”, who has been held in custody in Jalalabad, in the eastern province of Nangarhar, since 2 September 2005. “It is appalling that, in the run-up to Afghanistan’s crucial legislative elections, journalists are being harassed by local authorities who […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called for the immediate release of Ezatullah Zawab, editor of the bi-monthly “Meena”, who has been held in custody in Jalalabad, in the eastern province of Nangarhar, since 2 September 2005.
“It is appalling that, in the run-up to Afghanistan’s crucial legislative elections, journalists are being harassed by local authorities who act like despots,” said RSF. “We urge the government in Kabul to intervene to secure the release of Ezatullah Zawab as soon as possible and to guarantee the safety of all journalists in Nangarhar Province.”
On 2 September, police in Jalalabad arrested Zawab, who, as well as editing “Meena”, is the provincial correspondent for the Pajhwok Afghan News agency. Two days earlier, he had tipped off the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) that the governor was out to punish him for publishing satirical articles that displeased the provincial director of the Culture, Information and Tourism Ministry as well as religious leaders.
Some 30 journalists in Jalalabad demonstrated outside the provincial administration offices to protest Zawab’s illegal detention.
