Afghanistan’s Taliban government has detained at least three journalists on unspecified charges, the United ​Nations mission there said on Thursday in a ‌statement that called for the protection of reporters.

The three were the head of the Kabul-based Paigard News Agency, and two staff from Afghanistan’s ​first 24-hour news channel, TOLOnews, media and rights groups ​said.

The UN mission UNAMA said it urged “the de ⁠facto authorities to uphold their obligations under international human rights ​law and ensure that journalists can do their work without ​fear of intimidation, harassment, or reprisal”.

More than 40% of Afghanistan’s media outlets closed within three months of the Taliban returning to power in ​August 2021, according to Reporters Without Borders, and women ​have been barred from most journalism roles.

Afghanistan ranks among the world’s most ‌dangerous ⁠countries for journalists, the campaign group says.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture confirmed the detention of the two TOLOnews journalists, saying their cases were under investigation, without specifying ​charges.

TOLOnews named them ​as Imran ⁠Danish and Mansoor Niazi and said security officials had said there would be more information ​on the cases against them when legal ​procedures had ⁠been completed.

Paigard News Agency’s Ahmad Jawed Niazi was arrested late on Thursday last week at his office in Kabul by ⁠Taliban ​intelligence forces, the Afghanistan Media Support ​Organization said in a statement issued on the agency’s behalf.