Danish Siddiqui Foundation pleads for govt’s help in pursuing justice for photographer from Taliban

NEW DELHI: The Danish Siddiqui Foundation on Saturday asked for India’s assistance in pursuing justice for Danish Siddiqui, an acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian journalist, who was killed by the Taliban in 2021.

The Foundation stated that the visit of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, can be leveraged to request justice for Siddiqui.

“As the Taliban Foreign Minister visits India, we renew our call for justice. Danish Siddiqui, an acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian journalist, was captured, tortured, and killed in Afghanistan in 2021 while reporting from the field. We seek the assistance of the Government of India in pursuing justice through the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Human Rights Council accountability process. The visit also provides an opportunity to remind the Taliban of its obligations under international humanitarian law and to encourage cooperation with independent investigations into Danish’s killing,” the Foundation posted on X.

As the Taliban Foreign Minister visits India, we renew our call for justice. Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize–winning Indian journalist, was captured, tortured, and killed in Afghanistan in 2021 while reporting. We continue to seek truth and accountability. pic.twitter.com/dDHFnOUHnn

— Danish Siddiqui Foundation (@DSFAsiaOrg) October 11, 2025

Reuters photographer Danish Siddiqui was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer on May 10, 2022, along with Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo, and Amit Dave, for their images of the COVID-19 pandemic’s toll on India. Siddiqui was killed last year while covering a clash between Afghan special forces and Taliban insurgents.

The parents of Pulitzer-winning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, on March 22, 2022, filed a complaint against the top leaders of the Taliban, including Hibatullah Akhundzada and Hassan Akhund, in the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

Those named in the complaint include Hibatullah Akhundzada, Supreme Commander of the Taliban; Hassan Akhund, Head of the Taliban Leadership Council; Abdul Ghani Baradar, Chief Spokesperson and Head of the Taliban’s Political Office in Qatar; Muhammad Yacioob Mujahid, Minister of Defence, Taliban; Gul Agha Sherzai, Governor of the Kandahar Province; Zabbihullah Mujahid, Taliban Spokesperson and local commanders as well as perpetrators.

On July 16, 2021, Danish Siddiqui, known not only in India and throughout the world but also in Afghanistan for his photographs from the frontline, was embedded by Reuters with the Afghan Special Forces in Spin Boldak, where he was injured in an attack by the Taliban.

He was taken to a mosque, historically a place of refuge, for medical treatment. The mosque was attacked by the Taliban, and Danish was taken into custody, tortured and murdered.

Reports say that he was attacked by the Red Unit of the Taliban. After his killing, his body was mutilated and run over by a heavy vehicle in public. His body revealed marks of brutal torture and 12 bullet entry and exit points. These were received after his capture, as his bulletproof jacket had no bullet marks.

From multiple accounts, it is clear he was tortured and killed because he was a journalist and an Indian, said the release. (ANI)