Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The third annual conference of thr Free Speech Center was held in Toronto this week, bringing together around 300 exiled journalists, media activists and academics, with a strong focus on the situation of Afghan reporters forced to flee their country.
The organization said journalists from more than 40 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America attended the event marking World Press Freedom Day.
Najib Asil, founder and president of the center, said many exiled journalists continue to face unemployment, legal uncertainty and financial hardship despite years of professional experience and academic qualifications.
Asil called on the government of Canada to expand resettlement support for Afghan journalists stranded in Pakistan and Turkey after fleeing Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Lyse Doucet, senior international correspondent for BBC and author of “The Finest Hotel in Kabul,” praised Afghan journalists in exile for continuing to document developments inside Afghanistan despite growing risks and displacement.
According to Reporters Without Borders, Afghanistan remains among the world’s worst countries for press freedom following sweeping restrictions imposed on independent media since 2021. RSF has reported widespread censorship, intimidation and arrests of journalists, particularly those critical of the authorities.
Female journalists have been among the hardest hit. Many women reporters have been banned from working, removed from television screens, or forced into exile as restrictions on women’s employment and public participation intensified. Media advocacy groups say only a small fraction of female journalists who worked before 2021 remain active inside Afghanistan.
The United Nations and international rights organizations have repeatedly warned that shrinking media freedom and pressure on independent journalists are contributing to growing isolation and a lack of public access to reliable information in Afghanistan.