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French-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi, held in detention since January in Afghanistan, was freed after charges against him were dropped, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Wednesday.
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“The Taliban judiciary have ordered the release of journalist Mortaza Behboudi. The decision has just come through after 284 days of imprisonment,” RSF said in a statement to AFP.
All charges, including espionage and illegal support for foreigners, were thrown out at a criminal court hearing in Kabul, the press freedom NGO said.
He was due to return to France by the end of the week.
Originally from Afghanistan, Behboudi, 29, became a refugee in France and worked for multiple French media before returning to his home country on a journalistic assignment on January 5.
He was arrested two days later while waiting for his press accreditation.
In July, a Taliban spokesman told France Television that he had been arrested “not as a journalist… but because he had direct links with opponents of our regime.”
(AFP)
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