The Afghanistan National Journalists Union says 90 percent of violence against journalists committed by the Taliban.
28 October, 2021
More than 30 instances of violence and threats of violence against Afghan journalists were recorded in the last two months, with nearly 90 percent committed by the Taliban, says a media
More than 40 percent of the cases recorded by the Afghanistan National Journalists Union (ANJU) were physical beatings and another 40 percent were verbal threats of violence, Masorro Lutfi, the group’s head, said on Wednesday.
The remainder involved cases in which journalists were imprisoned for a day. One journalist was killed.
Most of the cases in September and October were documented in provinces across Afghanistan outside the capital, Kabul, but six of the 30 cases of violence took place in the capital, ANJU said.
Lutfi, in a news conference on Wednesday, said while most of the instances of violence – or threats of violence – were perpetrated by Taliban members, three of the 30 cases were carried out by unknown people.
The report comes as Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers attempt to open diplomatic channels with an international community largely reluctant to formally recognise their rule. They are trying to position themselves as responsible rulers, who promise security for all.
