#FreeMortaza: Sign the petition calling on the Taliban government to free a Franco-Afghan reporter jailed in Kabul
- #FreeMortaza: Sign the petition calling on the Taliban government to free a Franco-Afghan reporter jailed in Kabul
Support the campaign by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the #FreeMortaza support committee for the immediate release of Mortaza Behboudi, a journalist wrongfully detained in the Afghan capital since 7 January.
Mortaza Behboudi, who began his career as a photo-journalist at the age of 16 in Afghanistan, the country of his birth, fled to France several years ago because he was being threatened. He had returned to Afghanistan for the purpose of reporting but was arrested by the Taliban in Kabul just 48 hours after his arrival. He is now in prison and is accused of spying. His family has had no news of him since 26 January, when he briefly managed to speak to his wife by telephone. The call was supervised by prison guards, who brought it to an end after one minute.
We appeal to the Taliban government to end this nonsensical situation. Mortaza Behboudi is a well-known journalist who is respected and appreciated by his colleagues. RSF is coordinating a support committee that was created on 9 February and includes representatives of the 15 French media outlets and production companies for which he has worked, who have signed a joint appeal for his release.
Our message needs to be conveyed by as many people as possible to the Afghan capital, to the offices of those who took the decision to arrest him and who hold the key to his release. We ask you to urgently sign this petition for the Taliban authorities to free Mortaza Behboudi without delay and allow him to return to France and to his family. #FreeMortaza!
