human rights defender
Sayed Ahmad Rashid Kashifi
Actions and Campaigns
human rights defender
Actions and Campaigns
Legal assistance
Medical assistance
Psychosocial support
1991
Man
Urban
Released
Rashid Kashifi is a journalist since 2013, with experience working with national and international outlets such as Kabul Times, Rasa TV, and Afghanistan International. Known for reporting facts with honesty and courage, even in the face of censorship and professional challenges.
Apr 12, 2025
Nov 6, 2025
One year in prison
Latitude: 34.52666568569556
Longitude: 69.17506070759366
Kabul
Detention Center of 40th Directorate of National Intelligence Agency
In March 2025, Rashid Kashifi was arrested for the first time and tortured. Taliban agents confiscated his work equipment, including his camera, audio recorder, and phone. In the following weeks, intelligence officials repeatedly summoned him to their media department, claiming that it was to return his belongings. However, Kashifi believed that it was a trap to arrest him again.
In April 2025, he was arrested by the ٔNational intelligence agency on charges of collaborating with foreign media and propaganda against the Taliban. He was then reportedly sentenced to one year in prison.
Rashid Kashifi was released in November 2025.
https://kabulnow.com/2025/04/freelance-journalist-arrested-by-taliban-for-alleged-ties-to-exiled-media/
https://www.afintl.com/fa/202504185227
https://8am.media/fa/afghan-journalists-center-calls-for-immediate-release-of-rashid-kashifi-from-taliban-captivity/
https://ground.news/article/sources-journalist-rashid-kashifi-detained-by-taliban-in-kabul
Documented by

Rashid Kashifi is a journalist since 2013, with experience working with national and international outlets such as Kabul Times, Rasa TV, and Afghanistan International. Known for reporting facts with honesty and courage, even in the face of censorship and professional challenges.
Latitude: 34.52666568569556
Longitude: 69.17506070759366
One year in prison
In March 2025, Rashid Kashifi was arrested for the first time and tortured. Taliban agents confiscated his work equipment, including his camera, audio recorder, and phone. In the following weeks, intelligence officials repeatedly summoned him to their media department, claiming that it was to return his belongings. However, Kashifi believed that it was a trap to arrest him again.
In April 2025, he was arrested by the ٔNational intelligence agency on charges of collaborating with foreign media and propaganda against the Taliban. He was then reportedly sentenced to one year in prison.
Rashid Kashifi was released in November 2025.
Kashifi reported being subjected to physical torture during the investigation against him. This included beatings on his back with a belt and having the investigators' feet pressed against his face.
Legal assistance
Medical assistance
Psychosocial support
https://kabulnow.com/2025/04/freelance-journalist-arrested-by-taliban-for-alleged-ties-to-exiled-media/
https://www.afintl.com/fa/202504185227
https://8am.media/fa/afghan-journalists-center-calls-for-immediate-release-of-rashid-kashifi-from-taliban-captivity/
https://ground.news/article/sources-journalist-rashid-kashifi-detained-by-taliban-in-kabul