Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: In reaction to Taliban’s threat against Afghan media outlets, the US ambassador to Kabul John Bass on Tuesday said that journalism is not a crime and called on the Taliban to stop threating Afghan journalists.
All media staffers in Kabul, the capital city, and elsewhere across the country will be targeted if all the advertisement against the group does not end within a week,Taliban group said in a statement, warning Afghan media outlets.
Some media outlets in Kabul and some provinces publish content, where according to Taliban, is meant to defame them, the statement added.
With strong reaction, Bass in a tweet message said that Afghanistan’s vibrant media is a testament to the gains of the last 18 years and called on Taliban to stop threatening Afghan journalists.
“More violence, against journalists or civilians, will not bring security and opportunity to Afghanistan, nor will it help the Taliban reach their political objectives,” Bass tweeted.
He furthered, “journalism is not a crime, it is a valued public service to the world.”
The extremist group has given Afghan TV channels, radio stations, print media, and other a week to cease airing anti-Taliban announcement. “A number of media outlets are broadcasting and launching some commercial advertisements which is against Taliban,” the statement added, putting it as an insult to the group and their so-called Jihad that ordained to provoke people’s sentiment against them.
Anti-Taliban propaganda if still went on air, the Taliban will consider those outlets as espionage dens of the enemies and no one working in these media outlets will have security anymore, the statement added.
NAI—an Afghan media advocacy organization has strongly slammed Taliban group for its warning against the Afghan media outlets, calling on Afghan government to adopt comprehensive measure to ensure safety of Afghan media.
