The story of an Italian journalist beaten by the Taliban: “When something is filmed that is uncomfortable for them, all freedom of the press ends”

At least half a dozen journalists covering protests against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan have been beaten and detained for several hours., as several journalists reported on social media on Wednesday.

One of the beaten and detained journalists was Claudio Locatelli, an Italian journalist whose courageous cover in their social networks has gone viral in recent days.

Locatelli said Infobae that he was detained after showing his identity as a journalist while covering citizen protests demanding rights and inclusion.

“A car suddenly stopped, three men got out of the vehicle and tried to capture me”, he said. “At first I tried to flee, but another Taliban car blocked my way. Then they took me inside the vehicle, beat me, took my document and told me to shut up”.

Locatelli was taken to one of the Taliban security buildings.

“They detained me for eight hours. I insisted that I was a journalist and began to warn them that there was a risk of creating a diplomatic incident. They treated me well and finally released me, but They urged me very clearly not to register further demonstrations and protests. “he adds.

Locatelli explained that next to him, other journalists have been beaten and detained across the country, “apparently between 15 and 40”.

According to the young reporter, his arrest shows that “If, on the one hand, the Taliban seek to interact with the international press in a friendly manner, when something is recorded that is uncomfortable for them, all press freedom comes to an end.”.

Afghan media have also denounced episodes of violence against their workers.

The local newspaper Erythrosis said the journalists Taqi Daryabi and Nematullah Naqdi “They were brutally beaten after being detained by the Taliban. “On the heads, faces and bodies of these two reporters, we can see marks of whips and cables ”, the newspaper reported with photos that showed signs of violence.

“Journalists say they took each of them to separate rooms and then whipped them. Taqi Daryabi and Nematullah Naqdi were taken to hospital for treatment.“Added the crazy medium.

The Taliban yesterday unveiled their interim government, after weeks of waiting since the insurgent formation captured Kabul on August 15 after a rapid offensive during the final withdrawal of US and NATO troops.

But in the last days the new regime faced protests in different areas of Kabul and in the provinces of Parwan, Takhar, Badakhshan and Ghazni, despite the express prohibition of the insurgent formation to demonstrate.

In the national capital, some of the protests were motivated by women ready to challenge Islamists in power after Zainab Mazari, daughter of the late Shiite leader Abdul Ali Mazari, will announce her support for Ahmad Massoud, head of the National Resistance Front (NRF) in Panjshir, the northern province that most opposed Taliban control. Asserting that “Freedom is our right”They also rejected their exclusion and the reimposition of an oppressive regime such as the first Taliban government between 1996 and 2001.

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