Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
Ambassador Kay says press freedom is key for democracy
AT News Report
KABUL: The culture of impunity has helped more than 90 percent of the perpetrators of killing of reporters be free from punishment.
Saturday, November 02 was marked as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists globally. In Afghanistan, this day is marked every year amid increasing violence, killings and threats against journalists.
Findings by the Center for Protection of Afghan Women Journalists show that more than 109 journalists and media workers have been in killed in Afghanistan during the past two decades.
Afghanistan ranks top among the countries with impunity for crimes against journalists.
The findings say that 15 women journalists were among those killed from 2001 to 2019, including two foreign nationals both women.
It said that 94 Afghan journalists and 17 others from other countries have been killed, adding that 25 reporters were killed by irresponsible gunmen, three by NATO troops, three by families or relatives and one by police.
A joint government and media committee was established in 2017 to provide journalists with security and safety. The committee has so far registered more than 1,000 cases of violence against reporters.
Najib Maqsoodi, an official of the ministry of interior, said they have probed over 100 cases of violence against journalists including murders.
Moreover, the NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, Sir Nicholas Kay has said Press Freedom is key for democracy.
“NATO in Afghanistan supports the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. Press freedom is key for democracy,” Ambassador Kay said in a tweet message.
Furthermore, Jamshid Rasouli, spokesman of attorney general office, said they had prosecuted 60 cases of violence against reporters and six of them had received final sentence.
He said Saturday that perpetrator of killing of Palwasha Tokhi was sentenced to death, culprits of killing of Sayed Hamed Noori, were sentenced (one to death, two to 20 years in prison and one to 12 years in jail), killers of Shekiba Sanga Amaj, Zobair Khaksar, Aman Ataiee and Manan Arghand were also sentenced to long terms of prison.
Also, one was sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing Mohsen Hashemi, a technical worker of Radio Voice of Nejrab, but police have not yet arrested him.
