Afghanistan: Taliban beat journalists with cables and whips

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Two Taliban fighters stand guard during a demonstration near the Pakistani embassy in Kabul

Photo: Wali Sabawoon / dpa

The militant Islamist Taliban severely physically abused at least two journalists in the Afghan capital.

Dozens of imprints of cables and whips can be seen on the face and head of two employees of the well-known daily newspaper "Etilatrus", wrote the editor of "Etilatrus", Saki Darjabai, on Twitter on Wednesday.

The colleagues were brought to the office weak and in a state of lethargy.

He also shared a picture of a severely injured back and commented on it with the words: "This is only a small part of what Taliban journalists did to Etilatrus." A video shows that a journalist can no longer walk himself, on another one who stands alone but can hardly speak.

About two hours earlier, Darjabi had announced on Twitter that five of his employees, including the editor-in-chief, had been arrested by the Taliban when they were about to report on a women's protest in the neighboring districts of Pul-e Sorch and Kart-e Tschar.

The largest local TV stations apparently stopped reporting on Wednesday about the protests in Kabul, which have been going on for three days.

On Tuesday, the Taliban arrested a group of reporters and cameramen for several hours after covering the protest in Kabul.

The journalists did not comment publicly on what happened during their arrest.

On Wednesday, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times wrote on Twitter that he and his photographer had been pushed around by the Taliban when they tried to cover a women's protest in Kabul.

Attempts have also been made to delete recordings.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the incidents.

asa / dpa