KABUL - NAI, an organization supporting open media in Afghanistan, said Thursday that in the last two weeks, the number of female journalists in Nangarhar, Kandahar and Balkh provinces has dropped by a staggering 90 percent.
NAI also said not only are journalists in Afghanistan under threat, but so too are their families.
In addition, NAI stated that the solar year 1399 has been one of the bloodiest years to date for journalists in Afghanistan.
Eleven journalists and media workers have died in the country this solar year and at least 50 Afghan journalists, including men and women, have fled the country.
According to NAI, government’s apparent negligence in following up on cases involving crimes against journalists and the sharp rise in targeted killings of media workers has been a matter of grave concern for journalists.
“There are senior journalists and reporters who left the country, and among them it is said that 15 women [journalists] also left the country,” said Mujib Khelwatgar, head of NAI.
NAI says there have been three attacks on the families of journalists in the last two weeks, leaving several dead and wounded.
However, Ministry of Interior spokesman Tariq Arian said government is working on these cases.
“About 60 people have been arrested in connection with assassinations and violence against journalists, and their cases have been handed over to the prosecutor’s office,” said Arian.
On the other hand, female reporters in the capital say that no threats can silence their voices.
Khadija, a reporter for RTA Television says she has faced several threats, but has ignored the threats and is intent on continuing her work.
“Our families are also being threatened, and I, as a journalist, want to say that we are not stopping our work,” said Khadija.
This comes after the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) and 40 other civil society organizations from around the world called on the UN Security Council and UNAMA on Wednesday to support the Afghan media community by calling on all parties to stop violence against journalists in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015).
The AFJC said in a letter to the UN, and to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) head Deborah Lyons, that the council and all parties to the letter “are deeply concerned by the torrent of targeted killings of journalists in Afghanistan since early 2020.” (ATN)