Afghanistan, May 3 -- The UN urged the Taliban to release imprisoned journalists and called for global support to protect Afghanistan's media freedom.

Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has called on the Taliban to immediately release all detained journalists. His appeal came in a video message on World Press Freedom Day, observed on May 3.

Bennett noted that since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, journalists in Afghanistan have increasingly faced arrests, intimidation, and violence. He warned that the media landscape has been severely censored and pushed toward collapse.

He specifically highlighted the plight of female journalists, stating they face greate...