Afghanistan Peace CampaignThe Committee to Protect Journalists in Afghanistan said that in the last year no cases of murder have been recorded in Afghanistan.
On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said that after the collapse of the previous government, more than 200 cases of human rights violations against journalists, including arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment, threats, and intimidation have been recorded.
“Human rights abuses of more than 200 reporters in Afghanistan recorded by UNAMA since August 2021.
Record high numbers include arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment, threats, and intimidation.
Media in Afghanistan is in peril, let us all help Protect Journalists End Impunity,” said UNAMA.
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists said that Afghanistan is among five countries where the murder cases of journalists in the last ten years have not been dealt with.
“These are the countries where journalists are murdered in retaliation for their work and their killers go free, according to CPJ’s 2022 Impunity Index: Somalia, Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mexico, Philippines, Myanmar, Brazil, Pakistan, India,” said Committee to Protect Journalists.
“Those who are involved in these cases should be referred to judicial bodies,” said Samiullah Popal, a journalist.
“We want the Islamic Emirate to investigate the cases of journalists,” said Mohibullah Barikzai, a journalist.
The Committee to Protect Journalists in Afghanistan said that in the last year no cases of murder have been recorded in Afghanistan.
“Violence against journalists is still ongoing, We want the government to punish the perpetrators of violence against journalists and take legal action against them,” said Jamil Waqar, Media Officer of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists.
“There have been other problems, temporary arrests for a long time and violence, we have recorded about 140 cases. Out of all of these, one case has been investigated,” said Hujatullah Mujadadi, a member of the Afghanistan National Journalists Union.
The Ministry of Culture and Information denied the numbers claimed by UNAMA about the abuse of reporters in Afghanistan.
“We consider these claims to be far from the truth, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, especially the Ministry of Information and Culture, is determined to uphold all the fundamental rights of journalists,” said Hayat Mahajer Farahi, deputy of publications of the Ministry of Information and Culture.
According to the Afghanistan National Journalists Union, in the past 20 years 120 domestic and foreign journalists have been killed in Afghanistan and after the collapse of the government 12,000 media employees have become jobless and 225 media outlets have been closed.