European Federation of Journalists

Afghanistan: French-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi must be released immediately

Credits: Christelle Alix / ©UNESCO.

Mortaza Behboudi, a French-Afghan journalist living in France, was arrested on 7 January in Kabul, two days after arriving in Afghanistan, as he was about to collect his press accreditation. He is still being held in Afghanistan.

The French journalists’ unions SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes, SGJ-FO, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) join the appeal launched by 15 French media and production companies as well as several French associations and institutions demanding the release of Mortaza Behboudi, who is arbitrarily detained by the Afghan authorities.

The SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes and SGJ-FO – members of the IFJ and the EFJ – expect the French authorities to do everything possible to obtain the immediate release of our colleague. Imprisoning a journalist is an attack on the freedom to inform and to be informed.