Two journalists working with the United Nations have been detained in Kabul, Afghanistan, the agency says.
The U.N.’s High Commissioner for Refugees confirmed Friday that two journalists and Afghan nationals working alongside them are being held.
“We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation, in coordination with others. We will make no further comment, given the nature of the situation,” the agency wrote in a Friday morning tweet.
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Two journalists on assignment with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them have been detained in Kabul. We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation, in coordination with others.
We will make no further comment given the nature of the situation.
— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) February 11, 2022
The National Directorate of Security, the Taliban‘s security and intelligence agency, told Reuters it was in touch with the interior ministry but had no further information about the missing journalists.
“We have no information about them, when and where they have disappeared, we haven’t reached any information yet; we are trying to find information,” NDS spokesman Khalil Hamraz said.
The U.N. did not provide additional information about the journalists’ identities, but multiple people have identified one of the journalists as Andrew North, a former BBC correspondent.
“Andrew was in Kabul working for the UNHCR & trying to help the people of Afghanistan. We are extremely concerned for his safety & call on anyone with influence to help secure his release,” Natalia Antelava, his wife, wrote in a tweet.
Thank you everyone for your messages. Andrew was in Kabul working for the UNHCR & trying to help the people of Afghanistan. We are extremely concerned for his safety & call on anyone with influence to help secure his release. https://t.co/lgVblvlaa3
— natalia antelava (@antelava) February 11, 2022
Earlier this month, the U.N. announced that six women’s rights activists were missing in Afghanistan, saying that they were “gravely concerned” about their well-being.
The U.N. also raised concerns about a pattern of “arbitrary arrests and detentions” of activists, journalists, former government personnel, and other dissenters.
Reports since the Taliban seized control last August indicate the country has been plagued by widespread hunger, a collapsing economy, and human rights violations despite pledges to become more tolerant.
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Last year, the number of jailed journalists hit a record high of 293, and at least 24 journalists worldwide were killed due to their coverage, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Representatives for the UNHCR did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
