Afghanistan's Taliban government on Thursday (25/1) detained an Afghan poet, Izatullah Zawab, who served as head of the magazine Meena (Love) in eastern Afghanistan, as part of an ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and independent media in the country, according to family members' posts on social media.
Family members said Zawab was captured by the Taliban while traveling from the capital, Kabul, to Nangarhar province.
In a post on social media, Zawab's sons, Attullah Zawab and Nusrat Arman, said Taliban authorities had not revealed the reason their father was being held but assured that their father was in good health and would be released soon.
The two brothers asked other social media users to delete posts related to the arrest. In response, some Facebook users urged them not to delete the post until Zawab was released.
Taliban authorities have not provided an official statement regarding the detention, and only told family members that he was being held “in connection with an issue” without further details.
Zawab is best known for his critical poetry, which some social media users say may have contributed to his arrest. He has faced arrest and imprisonment before during previous Afghan governments for his critical poetry. Zawab criticized the mullahs, mujahideen and what he called corrupt officials in the country without naming anyone.
Zawab served as editor of Meena (Love) magazine published in eastern Afghanistan and owned a bookstore in Kabul. (lt/ab)