Over 600 Violations of Journalists’ Rights Recorded Under Taliban Rule
The Afghanistan Journalists Center has reported at least 640 cases of violations against journalists and media workers since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. The announcement was made to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
In a statement, the center noted that these violations include five killings, among them two employees of Afghanistan’s national radio and television network who were reportedly killed in an attack attributed to Pakistani forces. Additionally, more than 265 incidents of journalist detentions have been recorded during this period.
According to the center, around 130 journalists and media workers have been killed in the country over the past two decades due to conflict and organized crime. However, justice has not been served in over 90% of those cases.
The center warned that continued impunity for crimes, combined with increasing pressure and restrictive directives on the media, poses serious threats to democracy, development, and public awareness in Afghanistan.
The organization also expressed concern for Afghan journalists living outside the country, citing smear campaigns and misinformation attacks against them that have been met with indifference by major tech companies. This, the center said, is a serious threat to global press freedom.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center has urged the Taliban administration to respect the fundamental rights of journalists, take concrete steps to ensure justice for victims of crimes against the media, and lift the unprecedented restrictions recently imposed on media activities.
