On arrival in Kabul, Behzad said in an interview with Radio Free Afghanistan that he had in his possession an open letter signed by journalists working for most of the media outlets in Herat, demanding freedom of the press in the city and asking that Afghan President Hamid Karzai meet with the journalists to discuss Khan's efforts to stifle the press.

Behzad was verbally assaulted by Khan and physically beaten by Alawi on March 19, ironically at the ceremonial opening of the Herat office of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali, U.N. Special representative for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi and chief U.N. spokesman in Afghanistan Manoel de Almeida e Silva, attended the event. Behzad, in fact, was interviewing Jalali when Khan interrupted him and had him taken out of the room by Alawi. According to Behzad, Alawi then slapped him outside in front of many witnesses.

Two days later, on March 21, Ismail Khan condemned the coverage of human rights violations in Herat by Afghan "slaves of the media" at a ceremony marking the Afghan New Year, or Nowruz. According to Khan, "Those Afghans from our city, through BBC and Radio Azadi, harm the dignity of our people… I would like to tell them [the radio journalists] that just like those who served the Russians and benefited from them, they too will meet the same end."

President Karzai's spokesman Sayed Fazl Akbar, in response to a question concerning Khan's accusations, said on March 23 that he did not feel that BBC and Radio Free Afghanistan reporting on the issue was biased and that he could see no reason for such accusations.

Khan’s treatment of Behzad was reported in a range of Afghan and international media, including the Associated Press, BBC, Herat News Centre, Hindokosh news agency, Radio Afghanistan, the Afghan newspapers “Anis” and “Kabul Times,” Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, “Financial Times,” and Canada Newswire.

Behzad was granted a meeting with President Karzai himself on March 28 to discuss the matter. The English-language daily “Kabul Times” reported on April 2 that President Karzai made a public statement saying that “he has always been an advocate of the free press and was greatly worried about the expelling from Herat of the journalists…The president added that mistreatment of the journalists by the authorities in Herat could adversely affect reconstruction in that province, damaging the prestige of the transitional administration.”

After Behzad’s meeting with Karzai, government officials -- including Mr. Khan -- reported that the entire incident was a “misunderstanding.” Khan made a statement to the press, saying, "…the recent event that occurred was the result of a misunderstanding, and I hope it will not happen again. We are not against any Afghan or foreign journalist, and the reporters can be assured of their safety in our town, and can report on life in this country any way they wish."

He continued, "We are always supporters of free media and we will do everything to develop the media in Herat. We have done so until now, and even now we have several newspapers and magazines in this province. Herat is the home and homeland of every reporter and journalist. Every journalist can do his job and each countryman can continue his work in a free atmosphere.”

For the sake of the safety of RFE/RL correspondents in Herat, a well as the development of free press and democracy in Afghanistan, let us hope that Governor Khan’s words will hold true in the future.

Behzad returned to Herat from Kabul on April 3 without incident.