The United Nations' mission to Afghanistan said on Tuesday that the ruling Taliban had arbitrarily detained journalists 256 times since their takeover three years ago and urged authorities there to protect the media.
In a reply accompanying the report, the Taliban-led foreign ministry denied having arrested that number of journalists and added that those arrested had committed a crime.
Journalists in Afghanistan worked under "challenging conditions," the UN mission (UNAMA) and the UN Human Rights Office said in a statement.
The Taliban swept to power in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, vowing to restore security and impose their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Their administration has not been officially recognized by any foreign government.
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