KABUL: Afghan and international media watchdogs expressed concern Thursday at the detention for the second time in a month of the editor of a political website critical of the government.

Kamran Mir Hazar, editor of the Kabul Press site, was picked up here by “unknown persons” claiming to be from the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence agency, several media groups said in a joint statement.

The agency spokesman could not be immediately reached to confirm Hazar had been detained, but an official in the directorate's media office said on condition of anonymity that he was not aware of such an arrest. Hazar was first arrested on July 4 on allegations of publishing articles against high-level state officials. He was released four days later with no explanation.

Afghanistan's main media bodies as well as the International Federation of Journalists and the South Asian Free Media Association expressed concern for Hazar and the insecure environment in which Afghan journalists have to work.—AFP