Afghan woman journalist who interviewed a Taliban leader, flees Kabul

On Sep 1, 2021

AFGHANISTAN: Beheshta Arghand at the age of 24 made history by becoming the first Afghan woman to interview a Taliban leader on TV for TOLO News after which she earned praises from all quarters. Now, during the peak of her career as a journalist, she has fled the nation because of the “fear of Taliban”.

The 24-year-old in an interview with CNN said she fled the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan amid dangers journalists and Afghan nationals face in the war-torn nation now.

“I left the country because, like millions of people, I fear the Taliban,” Beheshta Arghand, who dreamt of becoming a journalist since Class 9, told CNN.

She said she worked at Tolo News for “one month and 20 days, then the Taliban came”.

However, she added, “If the Taliban do what they said — what they promised — and the situation becomes better, and I know I am safe and there is no threat for me, I will go back to my country and I will work for my country. For my people.” Owner of TOLO News, Saad Mohseni told CNN that he is facing the situation of a mass exodus of journalists as the channel is scrambling to find replacements.

“Almost all our well-known reporters and journalists have left. We have been working like crazy to replace them with new people. We have the twin challenge of getting people out [because they feel unsafe] and keeping the operation going,” he told CNN. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, reports of attacks, harassment of journalists have emerged from the war-torn nation that is under the rule of the Taliban, who have promised of a free press.

– THE BHARAT EXPRESS NEWS