human rights defender

Sayed Reza Ehsani

Actions and Campaigns

Urgent support needed

Evacuation and relocation to a safer place

HRD's year of birth

1982

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Artist
  • Journalist/Blogger

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights
  • Women's rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

Released on bail

HRD's bio and work

Sayed Reza Ehsani is an Afghan cultural producer and media worker with over six years of experience at Nama Media Cultural and Artistic Institute. Before 2021, he worked in the Institute's cultural products store. Since 2021, he served as a production manager for Afghan TV series at Nama Media.

In May 2025, Taliban intelligence agents (Directorate 015) and the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice raided Nama Media’s office, confiscating all personal and work belongings. Ehsani and his colleague were arrested, blindfolded, and transferred to Directorate 015 headquarters in Kabul.

During his detention, he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture, forced to read pre-written false confessions on video under threat of death, and repeatedly beaten to unconsciousness.

After ten days of torture and coerced confessions, he was transferred to the 6th security district office until signs of torture faded, then released on bail under the condition of daily reporting to authorities. Later, his forced confession video was published on official Taliban social media pages, leading to public threats against his life and eviction by his landlord.

He now suffers from severe trauma symptoms, lives in hiding, and fears re-arrest, torture, or disappearance like other detainees previously released under similar conditions.

Detained since

May 15, 2025

Date of release

May 28, 2025

Charge(s)

  • Blasphemy
  • Other

Sentence

He was accused of Christianity and feminism

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Asia: Southern Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

Kabul

Location of detention - Facility

Directorate of Intelligence Agency No 015

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

During his detention, Sayed was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture, forced to read pre-written false confessions on video under threat of death, and repeatedly beaten to unconsciousness.

Recent case update / evolution

Released on Bail on 28 May 2025

Any other relevant documents

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GUov5VFyS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AcuoMZpdu/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AZ1AmVooB/?mibextid=wwXIfr

لینک صفحات یوتیوب و دیگر صفحات مجازی در همین پست نشر شده، ذکر شده است!

لینک انتشار خبر در خبرگزاری ها:

https://www.etilaatroz.com/234452/namarsaneh-cultural-and-artistic-institute/

https://www.afintl.com/fa/202506308045

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16mzCk8hN5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://rukhshana.com/taliban-arrest-two-people-in-kabul-on-charges-of-calling-people-to-atheism- christianity-and- feminism/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR4Fr5jGIKBYmJ3Y1PpUQ93k3mOWlsK_205K- 6xvJV6ZWXy8_oWMvK2JvXMaqA_aem_NCQoBFXiD4BURsuQpQaufg

https://gowharshadmedia.com/امر-به-معروف-3/

https://ravizan.com/13195/

https://www.independentpersian.com/node/415337/سیاسی-و-اجتماعی/طالبان-دو-کارمند-یک-نهاد-سینمایی-را-به- اتهام-ترویج-مسیحیت-و-فمینیسم

https://sputnik.af/20250701/19353578.html

https://oxus.tv/2025/07/01/two-media-employees-arrested-on-charges-of-inviting-people-to- christianity-and-feminism/

https://ufuqnews.com/archives/259671

Documented by