Two Afghan journalists working for Al Jazeera have been arrested and accused by international forces of collaborating with Taliban insurgents.
The NATO-led coalition forces in Afghanistan arrested the pair in separate raids on their homes in the early hours of Monday and Wednesday. The international forces accused the journalists of being propaganda facilitators for the Taliban.
News organizations identified the pair as Mohammed Nader, an Al Jazeera staff correspondent, and Rahmatullah Nekzad, who has worked as a freelancer for both Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.
A spokeswoman for the International Security Assistance Force told the New York Times that the coalition had "good information" the two were "associated with Taliban activity" and with insurgents "while they were planning or instigating operations."
Qatar-based Al Jazeera demanded that the international forces "immediately release" the journalists. The international news agency called the arrests "an attempt" by the coalition forces "to suppress its comprehensive coverage of the Afghan war."
Family members and colleagues said the journalists were accused of contacting the Taliban, something that is common for both foreign and local journalists.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
