Taliban security forces raided Radio Nan FM in eastern Khost province on Tuesday, forcing staff from the building and breaking some of the radio station’s equipment, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AfJC) said.
“At around noon today, security forces of the Khost Police Headquarters threatened the employees and forcibly removed the equipment of Radio Nan from its building. They kicked out the media and closed its gate,” AfJC’s newsletter said Tuesday.
It said the radio’s broadcast has been completely stopped and four of employees were detained for about two hours following the raid.
Safir Mohammad Zadran, the radio chief’s brother, who was arrested a week ago, has not been released yet.
Taliban authorities said the private radio has been closed due to a rent matter.
“Today’s action by the security forces was based on the verdict of the Khost primary court. The court ruled that the owner of the radio station should vacate the building due to non-payment of monthly rent, and this ruling was implemented today,” the AfJC quoted the Taliban’s Khost spokesman Tahir Ahrar as saying.
The AfJC called for the reopening of the radio station as soon as possible without conditions, expressing deep concern about the incident.
AfJC said that according to Afghanistan’s media law, which is also applicable to the Taliban de facto government, no real person or authority can prohibit, sanction, censor, or limit the free activity of news or information media or intervene in the publication of public and informational media.
Radio Nan started broadcasting in 2009. The radio produces and broadcasts political, social, cultural, sports, and religious programs and was available on 89.1 FM in Khost province.
