An Afghan journalist working for CTV has been designated an "unlawful enemy combatant" by the U.S. military, after being held for four months without charge.

Jawed Ahmad, also known as Jojo Yazemi, went before an enemy combatant review board, which determined there was "credible information" to detain him further as a danger to foreign troops and the Afghan government, a U.S. spokesperson said yesterday. He is being held at Bagram, north of Kabul.

Maj. Chris Belcher, spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition, told the Associated Press Ahmad was allowed to make a statement to the review board, and "was in no way targeted because of his work as a journalist."

It was unclear if he was represented by a lawyer.

CTV News president Robert Hurst said his company "continues to be deeply concerned about Ahmad's well-being. We are continuing to work all diplomatic channels available to find out additional information and get Jojo his due process."

Ahmad, who is in his early 20s, had also worked as a freelance fixer for the Star.

"It is distressing to hear allegations such as these without being shown a single piece of supporting evidence," said Star Europe bureau chief Mitch Potter, for whom Ahmad did freelance translation and field work in Kandahar in 2006.

Earlier this week, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement asking U.S. authorities to disclose evidence and specify charges against Ahmad, after holding him since Oct. 26.

"We urge military officials to either charge (Ahmad) with a recognizable criminal offence, or if they have no intention of doing so, to release him immediately," said CPJ executive director Joe Simon.

Ahmad's brother, Siddique Ahmad, told reporters the military accused Jawed of having contact with local Taliban fighters. Journalists' organizations note that Afghan journalists often have contact with the Taliban, in order to get information for stories they are assigned.

Ahmad was detained in Kandahar, the southern area where Canadian troops are based – and one of the most Taliban-infiltrated areas. Potter described him as a "diminutive man who probably weighs 120 lbs. and could find it difficult to withstand a lot of pressure."

Human rights groups have protested reports of ill-treatment of prisoners at the Bagram base.

Ahmad is one of the latest local journalists to be detained by the U.S. in Afghanistan or Iraq. AP's Iraqi photographer Bilal Hussein has been held without charge in Iraq for 22 months.