Tawhidi: Saad Mohseni has moved from pro-democracy stance to supporting the Taliban

Afghan media activist Siddiqueullah Tawhidi, in a critical article titled “Saad Mohseni; from democracy advocacy to lobbying for Taliban terrorism,” has criticized the record and current positions of Saad Mohseni, owner of the MOBY Media Group. In the article, Tawhidi writes that after two decades of media activity and extensive support from international institutions, Saad Mohseni is now on a path that, according to him, leads to the normalization of and support for the Taliban. Referring to the role of TOLO TV and Ariana in shaping public opinion after the fall of the first Taliban government, the author describes these outlets as among the most influential media institutions in Afghanistan over the past two decades. He further reviews Mohseni’s background, saying that the owner of the MOBY Group benefited from extensive support from donor countries and international organizations from the beginning of his media work, enabling him to launch and implement various media projects in Afghanistan. Tawhidi also refers to several contracts and programs linked to electoral processes, adding that a significant portion of international media funding was spent through institutions affiliated with the MOBY Group. In another part of the article, Saad Mohseni is accused of engaging in “political deals” with previous governments as well as interacting with the Taliban. According to the author, Mohseni’s current stance on the Taliban is inconsistent with his earlier views on democracy and press freedom. Tawhidi further claims that in recent years Saad Mohseni has become one of the figures advocating for international engagement with the Taliban, describing this approach as “lobbying for the whitewashing of the Taliban.” The author warns that the continuation of this trend could negatively affect the credibility of MOBY Group’s media outlets among Afghan audiences.