November 5, 2020, Kabul, Afghanistan— Afghan police raided photojournalist Tahereh Rezaei's house, searched it without a warrant, and terrorized her and her guests. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this grave violation of privacy and consequent threat to press freedom.  We are alarmed for the safety of women journalists in Afghanistan.

On October 15, 2020, the Afghan police force raided the house of photojournalist Tahereh Rezaei. Tahereh and her guests were horrified by the intensity and brutality of the raid. They asked repeatedly about a search warrant and reason for the raid, with no response. Police confiscated their mobile phones and cut off wi-fi in the house to prevent them from calling anyone for help.  When one of the guests protested the illegal raid, they beat her. The police turned the entire house upside down and filmed the female guests without legal grounds. The search lasted for several hours. Tahereh and her guests were afraid of the threat of shooting and violence during these hours.

In order to end the search and let the guests go, the police forced Tahereh to sign a statement that she will never again hold an event where music is played. The police demanded the guests to sign a similar statement that they will not attend such events in the future.

Tahereh recounted the traumatic incident on her Twitter account. Afghan media outlets published a report on the event, calling for a response from the government.  To make matters worse, the official response from Afghanistan’s Vice President, Amrullah Saleh, was a threat to the journalist, describing her incident as a rumor. He even went further and stated “Those who spread this rumor must be held accountable. Opposition to the government, spreading rumors against the government and defamation of institutions is cooperation with the enemy”.  The Minister of Interior also claimed that there was no need for a search warrant, as there was a prosecutor with the police force who could act as a replacement for the warrant.

According to Human Rights Watch’s associate Asia director, Patricia Gossman “This incident raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to defend women’s rights and media freedom in the negotiations. It’s a page from the Taliban playbook”

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled by this attack on journalist Tahereh Reizai and her guests. CFWIJ condemns the Afghan authorities' response and the bullying of journalists. Threatening journalists for reporting and prohibiting social events are emblematic of the Taliban’s practices and its grave infringement of human rights. We urge the Afghan authorities to renounce its hostile approach towards journalists and press freedom.