JOURNALISTS DETAINED AND JAILED IN SOUTH ASIA
May 1, 2022 – April 30, 2023
Journalist Siddique Kappan (2R), who was arrested in October 2020, walks out from Lucknow District jail on bail. The number of journalists detained or jailed in South Asia documented by the IFJ has almost halved since last year’s press freedom report. Credit: Twitter
The IFJ documented 76 cases of journalists detained or jailed in South Asia from May 2022 to April 2023, a significant decrease from the 131 arrests recorded in the previous reporting period. As pandemic restrictions eased across the region, the period saw the release of many long-serving incarcerated journalists and a decrease in the number of detainments of journalists and media workers under 24 hours, at 25 compared to 44 in the previous period.
With the solidification of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and in the aftermath of a mass exodus of media workers from the country, the IFJ recorded the arrest and detainment of 27 journalists and media workers, another significant decrease in cases. However, the period also saw the harsh sentencing of several journalists; Khaled Qaderi’s prison sentence for ‘espionage’ and ‘criminal misconduct’ concluded in April 2023 after his arrest in March 2022 for producing social media posts critical of the Taliban. Producer Faizullah Faizbaksh was accosted by security guards while producing a documentary with American Ivor Shearer on August 17, 2022, in Kabul. Both were placed in custody by Taliban intelligence agents, and while Shearer was released in a prisoner-swap in December, Faizbaksh most likely remains in prison, although his current status is unknown. Crackdowns also greeted foreign journalists, including French national Mortaza Behboudi, Indian WION News correspondent Anas Mallick and American documentary filmmaker Ivor Shearer and their local crews, who were all detained while on the job. However, local media workers usually received harsher treatment, including prolonged jail time. Families, communities, media unions and networks were often unable to verify the status of those detained.
In Bangladesh, the draconian Digital Security Act continued to impact freedom of expression, with several journalists remaining on bail in ongoing cases. Journalists continue to face consequences for criticism of political figures, with Dainik Parbatoo and Pahar24 editor Fazle Elahi arrested in July in relation to a 2021 charge for an article identifying irregularities in a restaurant lease operated by a politician’s family, while journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams was arrested for releasing an article critical of the government’s response to Bangladesh’s cost of living crisis. Journalist Raghunath Kha was detained and assaulted in custody while covering a land rights dispute in the Satkhira district. In all three of these incidents, formal charges mean their cases could linger for years.
India saw 13 arrests in the period, with the arbitrary jailing of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir continuing. Kashmiri journalists Fahad Shah, Sajad Gul and Aasif Sultan are still in prison, with Gul and Sultan’s detention under the Public Safety Act continuing without formal charges. AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair was arrested for nearly a month after a 2018 tweet was deemed to ‘insult Hindu religious beliefs’ after police were notified of the alleged crime by an anonymous one-follower Twitter account, while journalists Rupesh Kumar Singh and Anil Yadav both faced state ire for their alleged involvement with political parties. In a welcome development, Siddique Kappan’s nearly three-year detention ended, with the journalist being granted bail in February despite months-long arbitrary administrative delays.
In Pakistan, a wave of short-term arrests and detentions of journalists was seen across the country. In Pakistan’s polarised political environment, journalists and executives from media outlets seen to support the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, or its leader Imran Khan, were frequently subject to arrests and criminal charges. Amid a context of PEMRA-ordered closures and broadcast restrictions, BOL news journalists Shahid Aslam, Jameel Farooqui, and ARY News TV Director, journalists and executives Ammad Yousuf, Salman Iqbal, Arshad Sharif, Khawar Ghuman and Adeel Raja were all charged this year. Sharif was murdered in an alleged case of mistaken identity in Kenya in August 2022, after he fled the country fearing for his safety. Another prevalent trend is the unofficial short-term detention of journalists and media workers by the subjects of their reporting, particularly in rural areas.
Nepal saw a rise in arbitrary, and sometimes unofficial detentions, with journalists Khem Dhungana and Krishna Bahadur Kunwar both abducted for several hours. Journalists Yegge Bahadur Budha and Gejendra Rai were both placed in brief detention during Nepal’s election period, while journalist Kailash Majhi was detained after apparently overstepping his privileges under the Right to Information Act.
In Sri Lanka, reportage of the widespread protests amid the island’s economic crisis resulted in the arrest of YouTuber and social media activist Darshana Handungoda for his coverage of a protest in July 2022, while Mugunthan Divanya and Wimal Raj remain in detention due to their alleged links to the LTTE.
Only one journalist was arrested in the Maldives over the past year, with Hussain Juman detained and assaulted by police while covering an opposition party protest in March.
On World Press Freedom Day 2023, 10 journalists in South Asia remain behind bars. It is a sombre reminder of the challenges facing the freedoms of expression, speech, and the press. This list emphasises the pressing need for journalist protection mechanisms, and international pressure to repeal repressive and draconian legislation.
TOTAL JAILED OR DETAINED BY COUNTRY IN SOUTH ASIA:
Afghanistan: 25
Bangladesh: 4
Bhutan: 0
India: 12
Nepal: 6
Maldives: 2
Pakistan: 24
Sri Lanka: 3
HIGHEST NUMBER OF DETAINMENT TYPES BY COUNTRY IN SOUTH ASIA:
Currently in jail: Afghanistan – 3 cases
Detained for more than one week: Afghanistan – 7 cases
Detained for less than one week: Afghanistan – 8 cases
Detained for one day or less: Pakistan – 13 cases
JAILED JOURNALISTS – CURRENTLY IN JAIL
AFGHANISTAN
Name: Faizullah Faizbakhsh
Gender: Male
Detained: August 17, 2022
Job: Freelance Producer
Accusation: Afghan producer Faizullah Faiz Bakhsh and American journalist and filmmaker Ivor Shearer were filming a documentary on the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul when they were detained by police. The pair had their passports and IDs confiscated and were called American spies, before being transferred to a second, unknown location.
Status: Faizullah Faiz Bakhsh remains in detention.
Name: Khairullah Parhar
Gender: Male
Detained: January 1, 2023
Job: Journalist, Freelance
Accusation: According to sources close to the journalist, Parhar was detained by Taliban intelligence officers on January 9. His current status or charges are unclear.
Status: Currently in jail.
Name: Mortaza Behboudi
Gender: Male
Detained: January 7, 2023
Job: Journalist, Freelance
Accusation: French-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi was detained two days after he arrived in Kabul, before being able to attain a press card to write a report. His arrest has been condemned by media organisations in France and beyond.
Status: Still detained at time of publication.
INDIA
Name: Aasif Sultan
Gender: Male
Detained: August 27, 2018
Job: Journalist, Kashmir Narrator
Accusation: Sultan was arrested in 2018 for publishing an article profiling the slain leader of a militant group. The journalist was detained in August 2018 on accusations of ‘harnessing known militants’, criminal conspiracy and aiding or participating in militant activities under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Status: After being granted bail on April 5, 2022, Sultan was re-arrested on April 10 under the Public Safety Act. He continues to remain in prison.
Name: Sajad Gul
Gender: Male
Detained: January 6, 2022
Job: Journalist, Kashmir Walla
Accusation: Gul, a trainee journalist with the Kashmir Walla, was arrested by security forces after posting a video showing a protest by the family of a killed Lashkar-e-Taiba militant on January 3. Two days later, Gul’s home was raided by army officers at 10 pm, and the journalist was taken into detention. Police have accused him of spreading ‘disinformation and false narratives’ and creating ‘ill-will’ toward the government. He was charged under the Public Safety Act.
Status: Still detained at time of publication.
Name: Fahad Shah
Gender: Male
Detained: April 4, 2022
Job: Editor, Kashmir Walla
Accusation: Prominent Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police regarding a series of articles he published. He faces sedition charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for posting anti-national’ content after publishing a Facebook post regarding a gunfight on January 30. Shah was charged under Jammu and Kashmir’s Public Safety Act (PSA) and also under the sedition law. The High Court on April 13, 2023 quashed the PSA case against Shah, calling it “mere surmise”.
Status: Fahad Shah remains in jail on various charges.
Name: Rupesh Kumar Singh
Gender: Male
Detained: July 17, 2022
Job: Journalist, Freelance
Accusation: Singh was arrested by Jharkhand police for alleged links to the Maoists, a banned left-wing armed group.
Status: Rupesh remains in custody.
Country: India
Name: Irfan Mehraj
Gender: Male
Detained: March 20, 2023
Job: Journalist, freelance
Accusation: Irfan Mehraj is the latest Kashmiri journalist to be arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged involvement in sponsoring ‘terrorist operations’ and other ‘anti-national’ activities. The journalist is one of several arrested in an ongoing NIA investigation into an alleged NGO terrorist funding scheme.
Status: Mehraj was transferred to a detention facility in New Delhi on March 21.
SRI LANKA
Name: Mugunthan Divanya
Gender: Female
Detained: March 29, 2021
Job: Web journalist, YouTube channel ‘Tamil Tube’
Accusation: The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) arrested Divanya for “operating a website and a YouTube channel promoting the LTTE and related terrorism activities” after an organisation she co-founded received donations from a then Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) general. Police media spokesperson said Divanya and Wimal Raj were arrested for allegedly promoting the LTTE and terrorist activities.
Status: Still detained at time of publication.
Name: Wimal Raj
Gender: Male
Detained: March 29, 2021
Job: Web journalist, YouTube channel ‘TubeTamil’
Accusation: The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) arrested Wimal Raj for “operating a website and a YouTube channel promoting the LTTE and related terrorism activities”, after an organisation he co-founded received donations from a then Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) general. Police Media Spokesperson said he and Mugunthan Divanya were arrested for allegedly promoting the LTTE and terrorist activities.
Status: Granted Bail
JOURNALISTS JAILED FOR MORE THAN ONE WEEK
AFGHANISTAN
Name: Khaled Qaderi
Gender: Male
Detained: March 17, 2022
Job: Reporter, Radio Nawruz
Accusation: The first journalist to be tried, convicted and sentenced through the Taliban’s military courts, Qaderi was accused of conducting ‘espionage for foreign media’ and for posting content critical of the regime on social media. The Herat journalist was arrested in mid-March to global condemnation and served a one-year sentence.
Status: Released in April 2023.
Name: Abdul Hanan Mohammadi
Gender: Male
Detained: June 12, 2022
Job: Correspondent, Pajhwok News
Accusation: Abdul, an AIJU provincial deputy, was reported missing in Kapisa province on June 12. Reports later confirmed he had been detained and accused of having links to the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, although authorities did not provide an official reason behind his detainment.
Status: Released on October 5, 2022, after four months of imprisonment.
Name: Ali Akbar Khairkhwa
Gender: Male
Detained: May 24, 2022
Job: Photographer, Subh-e-Kabul
Accusation: After Khairkhwa failed to come home on May 24, his family declared him missing. Taliban officials have denied knowledge of this incident. It is unclear whether his arrest was related to his reporting.
Status: Detained for more than a week.
Name: Jamaluddin Deldar
Gender: Male
Detained: May 24, 2022
Job: Head, Gardiz Voice Radio.
Accusation: According to his family, radio executive Jamaluddin Deldar was arrested on May 24 by Taliban officers. The reasons behind his arrest are unclear.
Status: Detained for more than a week.
Name: Mirza Hussaini
Gender: Male
Detained: May 24, 2022
Job: Former Owner and Editor, Radio Aftab.
Accusation: Hosni was detained at a checkpoint on May 24 and taken to the Herat General Directorate of Information’s 12th directorate after Taliban officers searched his phone and discovered news reports he had posted on social media. Mirza was accused of being a reporter for the National Resistance Front, a militant anti-Taliban group. Reports have indicated he suffered torture and beatings during his detention.
Status: Released on October 10, 2022, after four months of detention.
Name: Khan Mohammad Sial
Gender: Male
Detained: May 10, 2022
Job: Broadcast Manager, Payvasouton TV
Accusation: On May 10, Taliban police detained Sial for a month. According to reports, the journalist was beaten and coerced into signing documents and producing audio messages ‘proving’ that the station had been operating to favour Western interests. He was released from prison on July 4.
Status: Detained for more than a month.
Name: Imaduddin Duran
Gender: Male
Detained: July 3, 2022
Job: unclear
Accusation: BBC Pashto confirmed Imaduddin Duran was placed in detention on July 3.
Status: Detained for more than a week.
BANGLADESH
Name: Fazle Elahi
Gender: Male
Detained: June 7, 2022
Job: Editor, Dainik Parbatto, Pahar24
Accusation: Elahi was arrested following the publication of an article covering alleged irregularities in the lease of a restaurant. He was arrested on charges of defamation following complaints by former MP and Awami League leader Furoza Begum Chinu and his daughter, Nazneen Anwar.
Status: Granted bail on June 14.
Name: Raghunath Kha
Gender: Male
Detained: January 23, 2023
Job: Correspondent, Deepto TV and Dainik Projonmo Ekattor
Accusation: At 11 am on January 23, Kha was arrested by a plainclothes police officer, who alleged that he had been involved in a land dispute in the Khalishakhali area of Satkhira district. According to reports, the journalist said he suffered torture and beatings while in custody. Kha’s coverage focuses on landless people and he has previously suffered threats for his work.
Status: Granted bail.
Name: Shamsuzzaman Shams
Gender: Male
Detained: March 29, 2023
Job: Journalist, Prothom Alo
Accusation: Shams was arrested at his residence by plainclothes police officers from the Criminal Investigations Department, charged in relation to the publication of an article on March 26 covering the rising cost of essential consumer goods in Bangladesh’s ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Status: Granted bail on April 3.
Name: Mohd Jahangir Alam
Gender: Male
Detained: April 12, 2023
Job: United News Bangladesh correspondent
Accusation: Alam was arrested for allegedly making derogatory statements against several politicians, including Bangladesh’s founding president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and current prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.
Status: Granted a four-week interim bail by the Bangladesh High Court on April 26.
INDIA
Name: Siddique Kappan
Gender: Male
Detained: October 5, 2020
Job: Journalist/editor, Azhimukham
Accusation: Kappan was arrested on October 5, 2020, in Uttar Pradesh after he had travelled to report on an incident of gang-rape. Kappan and three of his colleagues were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and create communal disharmony. A later case by India’s Enforcement Directorate alleged he had received money from an outlawed group the Popular Front of India.
Status: Granted bail on December 23 and released on bail on February 2, 2023, after 28 months imprisonment.
Name: Muhammed Manan Dar, aka Manan Gulzar Dar
Gender: Male
Detained: October 22, 2021
Job: Photographer, Freelance
Accusation: Manan Gulzar Dar, known professionally as Muhammad Manan, was summoned by police in Srinagar on October 10, 2021, and held in custody for over a fortnight, before being transferred to New Delhi. Manan, along with his student brother, are among 13 suspects arrested in relation to the killing of five people by alleged militants in October.
Status: Released on bail on January 3, 2023.
Name: Mohammed Zubair
Gender: Male
Detained: June 27, 2022
Job: AltNews, Co-founder
Accusation: Mohammed Zubair was arrested after police alleged he had offended religious sentiments for a 2018 Twitter post he made evoking the name of the Hindu god Hanuman. According to police, the post offended Hindu religious sentiments and ‘promoted enmity’, with later charges invoked including criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and receiving foreign funds.
Status: Granted bail on July 20, 2022, by the Supreme Court and the cases shifted from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.
Name: Anil Yadav
Gender: Male
Detained: November 23, 2022
Job: Journalist, freelance
Accusation: In November 2022, independent journalist Anil Yadav was arrested in Uttar Pradesh after another journalist complained that he was being abused on the Samajwadi Party (SP)’s Twitter account, which Yadav was said to be running. Yadav and SP’s media cell have denied the allegations.
Status: Granted bail and released on November 30, 2022.
MALDIVES
Name: Mohamed Samaah
Gender: Male
Detained: January 8, 2023
Job: CEO, Channel 13
Accusation: Samaah was detained while livestreaming a series of demonstrations in Malé for Channel 13. Despite wearing press credentials, he is sentenced to 30 days of house arrest.
Status: Released
PAKISTAN
Name: Zahid Abbas Malik
Gender: Male
Detained: May 11, 2022
Job: Senior journalist of the Daily Dunya
Accusation: Intelligence agencies are suspected of having illegally detained Malik for unstated reasons.
Status: Released on court’s orders.
Name: Sher Muhammad Sahi
Gender: Male
Detained: June 20, 2022
Job: Freelance journalist
Accusation: Unclear motivation.
Status: Held in captivity for two weeks and released without harm, his captors are yet to be identified
Name: Shahid Aslam
Gender: Male
Detained: January 23, 2023
Job: Senior BOL News journalist
Accusation: Accused of leaking the financial data of former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Status: Granted bail.
JOURNALISTS DETAINED FOR LESS THAN ONE WEEK
AFGHANISTAN:
Name: Maiwan Wafa
Gender: Male
Detained: May 31, 2022
Job: Journalist
Accusation: According to Aamaj News 24, relatives of Wafa reported that the journalist had been arrested on May 31, however, they could not verify his current status or any charges against him.
Status: Detained for a week before his release.
Name: Jawad Etemad
Gender: Male
Detained: May 13, 2022
Job: Journalist, Avsaka News
Accusation: Covering the bombing of a mosque in Kabul.
Status: Released after two days.
Name: Farzad
Gender: Male
Detained: May 13, 2022
Job: Photographer, New York Times
Accusation: Arrested while covering a women’s protest.
Status: Detained a week or less before being released on May 20, 2022.
Name: Sahar Sirat Safi
Gender: Male
Detained: June 6, 2022
Job: Manager, Dost Radio
Accusation: Unclear.
Status: Released on July 4, 2022.
Name: Swan Takal
Gender: Male
Detained: July 3, 2022
Job: Unknown – BBC Pashto
Accusation: Unclear.
Status: Detained a week or less before being released on July 10, 2022.
Name: Lynne O’Donnell
Gender: Female
Detained: July 16, 2022
Job: Former Bureau Chief, The Associated Press
Accusation: Detained by Taliban intelligence agents on July 19 in relation to four articles she had published in 2021. The Australian journalist was threatened with arrest while in Taliban custody and was forced to post a series of pro-Taliban messages and apologies across her social media.
Status: Detained a week or less before being released.
Name: Zakariya
Gender: Male
Detained: August 4, 2022
Job: Producer, Freelance
Accusation: Abducted and tortured alongside WION News correspondent Anas Mallick and driver Mayel Kharoti when their car was intercepted by the Taliban, who confiscated their phones and press credentials and took them into custody.
Status: Released on August 7.
Name: Ivor Shearer
Gender: Male
Detained: August 17, 2022
Job: Freelance filmmaker
Accusation: American journalist and filmmaker Ivor Shearer and Afghan producer Faizullah Faizbakhsh were filming a documentary on the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri when they were detained by Taliban police. A reason was not given for the arrest.
Status: Shearer was detained a week or less before being released on December 20, 2022, following intervention from the US government.
INDIA
Name: Nilesh Sharma
Gender: Male
Detained: March 2, 2022
Job: Editor, Indiawriters.co.in
Accusation: Sharma was arrested by Raipur police for his satirical news website, which critics say targeted the sitting Indian National Congress state government. Sharma has been charged with creating enmity or hatred between classes, circulating rumours, and publishing intentional insults with intent to provoke a breach of peace under the Indian Penal Code. Police further claimed to have found confidential documents and ‘pornographic content’ on his personal devices.
Status: Released on bail after a few days.
Name: Sanjay Rana
Gender: Male
Detained: March 12, 2023
Job: Journalist, freelance
Accusation: Arrested for questioning Uttar Pradesh Minister for Secondary Education, Gulab Devi, on unfulfilled promises at a press conference in Sambhal District..
Status: Released after 30 hours in custody.
NEPAL
Name: Yegge Bahadur Budha,
Gender: Male
Detained: May 7, 2022
Job: Journalist, Rapti Pahichan
Accusation: Budha was taken into police custody after posting a message to social media in response to a statement by CPN Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), claiming Nepal would face a disaster if his daughter was not elected as a mayor.
Status: The journalist was placed in custody for “safety reasons” until the completion of a planned rally, and was released on May 8.
Name: Kailash Majhi
Gender: Male
Detained: June 13, 2022
Job: Journalist, Mountain Television
Accusation: Accused of indecent behaviour and his alleged abuse of his rights by seeking information on a local construction company.
Status: Released on bail on June 17.
Name: Gajendra Rai
Gender: Male
Detained: November 26, 2022
Job: Correspondent, Radio Nepal – Owner, Watch Post Online
Accusation: Arrested under the Electronic Transaction Act in Koshi Provinces’ Udayapur district while reporting on social issues surrounding a local election.
Status: Gajendra attained bail shortly after his arrest.
PAKISTAN
Name: Imran Riaz
Gender: Male
Detained: July 5, 2022
Job: News anchor for Express News TV
Accusation: Allegedly defaming the security establishment.
Status: Released on bail.
Name: Peer Muhammad Khan Kakar
Gender: Male
Detained: July 7, 2022
Job: Correspondent for Dunya News
Accusation: Claims made in a social media post alleging corruption by Loralai Deputy Commissioner Ateeq Ur Rehman.
Status: Released on conditional bail on July 14, 2022.
Name: Ammad Yousuf
Gender: Male
Detained: August 8, 2022
Job: ARY News TV director news Ammad Yousuf
Accusation: Charged with his role in abetting the broadcast of allegedly seditious remarks by Shahbaz Gill.
Status: Released on bail.
Name: Ilyas Samoo
Gender: Male
Detained: August 19, 2022
Job: Reporter for Awami Awaz newspaper and president of Bandar Press Club
Accusation: Charged with the possession of illegal weaponry.
Status: Released on bail.
Name: Jameel Farooqui
Gender: Male
Detained: August 21, 2022
Job: BOL News journalist
Accusation: Charged for spreading “anti-state” commentary.
Status: Released on bail.
Name: Ubaid Ullah
Gender: Male
Detained: December 27, 2022
Job: Jasarat newspaper reporter
Accusation: Accused of ‘excessive coverage’ of local civil rights movement ‘Haq Do Movement’ and disruption of civil order.
Status: Released a few days later with no further proceedings.
Name: Gohar Wahir
Gender: Male
Detained: April 20, 2023
Job: Journalist, Khyber News
Accusation: Gohar Wazir, known for reporting on local issues, was abducted by two unidentified persons while Eid shopping in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, before being taken to an unknown location, handcuffed, and suffering assault. Later reports indicate he was abducted by members of the Pakistani Taliban.
Status: Wahir was released after 30 hours in detention, with police failing to act against his assailants.
SRI LANKA
Name: Darshana Handungoda
Gender: Male
Detained: February 2, 2023
Job: Social media activist and YouTuber
Accusation: Accused of releasing inflammatory comments on social media that fueled unrest outside the President’s residence on May 9, 2022.
Status: Granted bail on February 6.
JOURNALISTS DETAINED 24 HOURS OR LESS
AFGHANISTAN
Name: Basira Mosamim
Gender: Female
Detained: May 4, 2022
Job: Former Journalist
Accusation: One of three journalists detained on charges of criminal insult for reporting in 2019 and 2020 regarding an article about an allegedly corrupt Taliban official.
Status: After the efforts and mediation of the ANJU provincial office and journalists, the issue was resolved and Mosamim was released on bail after several hours in detention.
Name: Ologh Big Ghafouri
Gender: Male
Detained: May 4, 2022
Job: Freelance Journalist
Accusation: One of three journalists detained on charges of criminal insult for reporting in 2019 and 2020 regarding an article alleging a Taliban official had operated with corruption.
Status: After the efforts and mediation of the ANJU provincial office and journalists, the issue was resolved and Ghafouri was released on bail after several hours in detention.
Name: Firouz Ghafouri
Gender: Male
Detained: May 4, 2022
Job: Production Manager, Tamana Radio
Accusation: One of three journalists detained on charges of criminal insult for reporting in 2019 and 2020 regarding an article alleging a Taliban official had operated with corruption.
Status: After the efforts and mediation of the ANJU provincial office and journalists, the issue was resolved and Firoz Ghafouri was released on bail after several hours in detention.
Name: Roman Karimi
Gender: Male
Detained: May 29, 2022
Job: Reporter, Salam Watander
Accusation: Covering a women’s protest in Kabul. He and his driver beaten in custody, while Roman had his phone confiscated and searched.
Status: Detained for less than 24 hours.
Name: Samiullah
Gender: Male
Detained: May 29, 2022
Job: Office Driver, Salam Watander
Accusation: Samiullah, an office driver for Salam Watander, was detained alongside reporter Roman Karimi while travelling to cover a women’s protest in Kabul. Beaten in custody.
Status: Detained for less than 24 hours.
Name: Farhad Amiri
Gender: Male
Detained: May 31
Job: Journalist
Accusation: Arrested for unstated reasons while reporting in the field.
Status: Released after a few hours of his arrest.
Name: Anas Mallick
Gender: Male
Detained: August 4, 2022
Job: Correspondent, WION News
Accusation: WION News Correspondent Anas Mallick, alongside media workers Zakariya and Mayel Kharoti, was abducted and tortured by Taliban authorities. According to Mallick, their car was intercepted by Taliban authorities, before all three men had their phones and press credentials confiscated and were taken into custody. The men suffered beatings through their interrogation.
Status: Mallick was released after 24 hours.
INDIA
Name: Wangkhemcha Shamjai
Gender: Male
Detained: July 31, 2022
Job: Editor-in-Chief Kangleipakki Meira, President of All Manipur Working Journalists Union
Accusation: Summoned to a local National Investigation Agency office, and interrogated. The next day, he is intimidated by NIA.
Status: Detained all day before release, with no further action taken.
NEPAL
Name: Rani Vibas
Gender: Male
Detained: June 20, 2022
Job: Editor, Bikalpa Dainik
Accusation: Rani Vibas was arbitrarily detained while reporting on a fire at a construction site near his outlet’s office after asking law enforcement if they had filed an incident report. Vibas was placed in detention for having allegedly offended public order.
Status: Released after several hours, following intervention by the FNJ.
Name: Khem Dhungana
Gender: Male
Detained: December 13, 2022
Job: Journalist, News 24 Television
Accusation: While reporting on allegations of corruption in Lamkichuhua municipality, Khem Dhungana was repeatedly obstructed from reporting and taken into unofficial detention. Municipality officials confiscated his equipment and deleted videos recorded on his camera.
Status: Released after several hours.
Name: Krishna Bahadur Kunwar
Gender: Male
Detained: January 12, 2023
Job: Journalist, Mahapratibad National, FNJ UAE committee member
Accusation: Detained by UAE Nepali embassy staff for four hours during a routine visit. During his detention, embassy staff confiscated his phone and threatened to call police for his arrest.
Status: Released after four hours.
MALDIVES
Name: Hussain Juman
Gender: Male
Detained: March 16, 2023
Job: Avas, Journalist
Accusation: Juman was arrested while covering an opposition demonstration in the Maldives. He was thrown to the ground by police and suffered injuries to his upper body. Police allege he assaulted the officers.
Status: Released on March 17. His case is ongoing.
PAKISTAN
Name: Mateen Dotani
Gender: Male
Detained: May 14, 2022
Job: Digital journalist
Accusation: Detained by police without reason while covering a protest in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Status: Detained for a few hours and released after intervention from his colleagues.
Name: Umer Nahiyon
Gender: Male
Detained: June 5, 2022
Job: K21 News TV reporter
Accusation: Abductors accused Nahiyon of false news for his reporting on the forced occupation of land by a local builder.
Status: Released after one day of torture and mutual resolution of the issue.
Name: Nafees Naeem
Gender: Male
Detained: June 13, 2022
Job: Assignment editor of Aaj News TV
Accusation: Unidentified men abducted Naeem and questioned the content of his blog.
Status: Detained for one day and released without harm.
Name: Arsalan Khan
Gender: Male
Detained: June 24, 2022
Job: Citizen journalist
Accusation: Sindh paramilitary force rangers accused Khan of being in contact with terrorists.
Status: Released without formal charges one day later, with no further action against him.
Name: Malik Adil
Gender: Male
Detained: September 29, 2022
Job: Cameraperson and reporter, Aaj News TV
Accusation: Hayatabad Medical Complex administration officials threatened the media crew and confiscated their equipment.
Status: Locked up in a room for several hours before being released.
Name: Kashan Awan
Gender: Male
Detained: September 29, 2022
Job: Cameraperson and reporter, Aaj News TV
Accusation: Hayatabad Medical Complex administration officials threatened the media crew and confiscated their equipment.
Status: Locked up in a room for several hours before being released.
Name: Syed Irfan Raza
Gender: Male
Detained: November 4, 2022
Job: Senior reporter, Dawn
Accusation: Abducted by an unidentified armed group and taken to the outskirts of Rawalpindi.
Status: Released after being beaten up for three hours.
Name: Mumtaz Bibi
Gender: Female
Detained: December 16, 2022
Job: Bureau Chief and Lahore Post reporter
Accusation: A group of lawyers detained Bibi and journalist Muhammad Imran and accused them of false and negative coverage.
Status: Detained for several hours before being rescued by police.
Name: Muhammad Imran
Gender: Male
Detained: December 16, 2022
Job: Bureau Chief and Lahore Post reporter
Accusation: A group of lawyers detained Imran and journalist Mumtaz Bibi and accused them of false and negative coverage.
Status: Detained for several hours before being rescued by police.
Name: Nauman Chaudhry
Gender: Male
Detained: January 18, 2023
Job: Koh-e-Noor News TV reporter Nauman Chaudhry
Accusation: Chaudhry was kidnapped and tortured for airing news on drugs and liquor trafficking in the Rawalpindi district.
Status: Released the same day by captors.
Name: Dhani Bakhsh
Gender: Male
Detained: January 30, 2023
Job: Reporter with Express
Accusation: Assaulted and held hostage in a field for hours by locals.
Status: Released after several hours after the matter was resolved mutually.
Name: Abdullah Mahar
Gender: Male
Detained: January 30, 2023
Job: Reporter with Express
Accusation: Assaulted and held hostage in a field for hours by locals.
Status: Released after several hours and the matter was resolved mutually.
Name: Ghaffar Mahar
Gender: Male
Detained: January 30, 2023
Job: Reporter with Express
Accusation: Assaulted and held hostage in a field for hours by locals
Status: Released after several hours and the matter was resolved mutually.
Name: Shahbaz Khan
Gender: Male
Detained: April 29, 2023
Job: Crime reporter, Dunya News
Accusation: Shahbaz Khan was arrested while reporting on a house fire in Karachi. Khan was stopped by police, and briefly taken into the back of a police van where he was assaulted by seven or eight plainclothes and uniformed officers.
Status: Khan was released shortly after his detention, with two officers suspended in relation to the incident.
STATUS UNKNOWN
INDIA
Name: Jaspal Singh
Gender: Male
Detained: March 18, 2023
Job: Journalist
Accusation: Arrested in relation to an article related to ruling local BJP leader Lakshman Napa, who accused him of spreading false information through posts to WhatsApp groups and Facebook. The posts alleged Napa was involved in an ongoing gambling case lodged on March 16.
Status: Singh was produced in a Ratia court on Sunday, March 19 and was sent to judicial custody.