Afghanistan: Filmmaker Arbitrarily Detained
Sayed Rahim Saidi, a 57-year-old filmmaker, is known for his documentaries and short films addressing social change and non-discrimination. He has worked for over two decades in Afghanistan National TV and other private televisions and is a member of the Afghanistan Film Association. Saidi has worked in media and production of media content, film, and cinema in Afghanistan. He has previously worked as a production manager and producer with Ariana TV since its establishment in Kabul in 2005. Before his arbitrary arrest, he was working with Anar Media, with 17,000 followers on YouTube, and had produced a variety of social, cultural, and religious programmes.
Saidi was arbitrarily arrested by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence District 40 on 14 July 2024 from Khushhal Khan Mena, District 5 of Kabul. Around 10 am in the morning, Saidi and his son suddenly found themselves surrounded by Taliban soldiers with covered faces. Without proper communication or presenting a written arrest warrant, the soldiers covered their faces with black cloths and took them to the GDI District 40. After a couple of hours of interrogation, his son was released; however, Saidi was kept for further interrogation. During this period, Saidi was kept in a solitary confinement for the first three months of the arrest, denied access to a lawyer as well as adequate healthcare and medication required for his illness. While his family was allowed to visit him a few times, the meetings would take place through a glass window via telephone in the presence of a Taliban soldier. While his family had tried to send him medicines, these medicines never reached him in GDI. Saidi has been seriously ill with lumbar disc herniation since his arrest, and his condition is continually worsening. He also suffers from prostate issues.
On 18 December 2024, Saidi was presented for the first trail to the judge in the first court in Kabul as a criminal; his hands and legs were chained, and he was not allowed to speak to his family. During this trial, Saidi was denied access to a defence lawyer to challenge the allegations of spreading propaganda against the Taliban de facto authorities and to assert his right to have access to adequate healthcare. He was warned by the judge that if he denies the first court judgement and appeal, his case and imprisonment period will be prolonged. He was forced to confess that he was responsible for spreading propaganda against the Taliban and was sentenced to three years imprisonment. He was sent to Pol-e-Charkhi prison immediately afterwards.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has condemned Saidi’s arbitrary arrest and called for his unconditional release, as well as an immediate end to arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of media workers and journalists simply for performing their duties.