After Tolo News posted on social media around 1:00 PM on Sunday, 20th of Sawr, about the arrest of two of its journalists, approximately 40 minutes later, Taliban intelligence forces, along with nearly 50 armed individuals, raided the Moby Group office in Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul, and besieged the office for over six hours.
During the siege, the Taliban confiscated the mobile phones of all staff from Tolo News, Tolonews, Lmar, Radio Arman, Radio Arcozia, and the Leaps office, keeping employees under surveillance. Sources reported that some staff were beaten, and women were also subjected to violent behavior. Taliban intelligence only allowed female employees to return home at 7:00 PM. Male staff remained under supervision for another hour.
According to reports, Mansoor Niazi, a political anchor and program host at Tolo News, was arrested on Thursday, 17th of Sawr, in the Karte Char area of Kabul, and Imran Danish, head of the political section of the media, was arrested near the Tolo News office on Saturday evening. Sources say that after Mansoor Niazi’s arrest, the Taliban took control of his XO account and posted a message early Sunday claiming that the news of his arrest was false and that he was at home.
It has also been reported that during the siege, Taliban intelligence transferred Imran Danish to the Tolo News office, and after completing searches and inspections, took him away again.
Tolo News initially published the report using the term “arrest,” but later deleted it and replaced it with “detention.” The Taliban, Tolo News, and Moby Group have not officially explained the reason for this raid. Tolo News’ social media activity resumed around 8:00 PM after the end of the siege.
Writer:Salima Hakimi
