In July, filmmaker Sayed Rahim Saidi was released in Afghanistan after 11 months in jail. Sayed, who worked for over two decades with Afghanistan National TV, had been detained along with his son in 2024 by the Taliban. His son was soon released, but Sayed was accused of spreading propaganda against the Taliban, a charge based on his past films, as well as a film he was planning to make about the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education. Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action appeal following Sayed’s detention and raised the profile of his case around the world. Sayed was kept in solitary confinement for months. He was denied access to a lawyer and endured serious illness without adequate healthcare. In December 2024, Sayed was subjected to an unfair trial. Brought before a judge with his hands and legs chained and forced to confess, he was unjustly sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
