Afghanistan: TOLO News journalist beaten by Taliban while reporting in Kabul

A journalist working with Afghan news channel TOLO News on Thursday alleged that he was beaten by the Taliban while on an assignment in Kabul.

Ziar Khan Yaad denied the news reports of his death, which began circulating on social media earlier in the day. They were based on an wrongly-translated tweet from TOLO News, as pointed out by BBC’s Nicola Careem.

Warning – the google translation of this tweet is incorrect. The correct translation is

“Taliban BEATEN Tolo news reporter in Kabul” https://t.co/u5qUP4X57g

— Nicola Careem (@NicolaCareem) August 26, 2021

“Some people have spread the news of my death which is false,” the TOLO News journalist said. “I was beaten by the Taliban in Kabul’s New City while reporting.”

Zaad added that the Taliban seized his technical equipment and mobile phone. “I still don’t know why they behaved like that and suddenly attacked me,” the journalist added. He said that the Taliban’s actions were a serious threat to freedom of expression.

I was beaten by the Taliban in Kabul’s New City while reporting. Cameras, technical equipment and my personal mobile phone have also been hijacked
Some people have spread the news of my death which is false.The The Taliban got out of an armored Land Cruiser and hit me at gunpoint

— Ziar Khan Yaad (@ziaryaad)…

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