POLITICS — April 11, 2026

Exiled Afghan Journalists Launch Campaign Demanding Release of Imprisoned Reporters Shakib Nazari and Hamid Farhadi

Exiled Afghan journalists launched a campaign on April 11, 2026, demanding the Taliban release reporters Shakib Nazari and Hamid Farhadi from prison. Nazari faces a three-year sentence for alleged cooperation with Japanese media and anti-Taliban propaganda, while Farhadi is serving two years for propaganda and links to Ettela'at Roz.

The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Hasht-e Subh — corroborated by Amu TV2 min read

Exiled Afghan Journalists Launch Campaign Demanding Release of Imprisoned Reporters Shakib Nazari and Hamid Farhadi
Image courtesy Hasht-e Subh

Exiled Afghan journalists launched a campaign on April 11, 2026 (22 Hamal), calling for the Taliban to release reporters Shakib Nazari and Hamid Farhadi from prison.

A Taliban military court sentenced Shakib Nazari to three years in prison for cooperating with a Japanese media outlet and propagandizing against the Taliban. The court claimed Nazari ignored orders from Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Separately, the Taliban Interior Ministry arrested Hamid Farhadi in Kabul on September 3, 2024. A Taliban court sentenced him to two years in prison on September 19 for propaganda against the Taliban and ties to the Ettela'at Roz newspaper. Farhadi is serving his sentence in Bagram prison.

The campaign highlights ongoing concerns over the detention of journalists under the Taliban, who have continuously arrested media workers on propaganda charges since regaining control of Afghanistan.

Read the original reporting at Hasht-e Subh

Reliability assessment

Core event of exiled Afghan journalists launching a campaign on April 11, 2026, demanding release of reporters Shakib Nazari and Hamid Farhadi is corroborated by two independent outlets (Hasht-e Subh, Amu TV). Background details on Taliban sentences and arrests are consistently attributed across sources.

The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Hasht-e Subh: "Taliban Interior Ministry fighters" - uses 'fighters' (جنگجویان) for security forces, evoking militant imagery rather than police; "continuously arrested journalists" (همواره خبرنگاران را ... بازداشت کردهاند) - frames Taliban actions as a persistent pattern of repression with advocacy undertone.

Independent web corroboration

An independent web search turned up no separate corroborating reports. Treat the account as single-sourced until more outlets pick it up.

Across the newsrooms

Filed by 2 outlets

Filed under

PoliticsTaliban, Shakib Nazari, Hamid Farhadi, journalists, Bagram prison

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