Protect media freedom

The number of violent attacks on the media has spiralled since the start of the year. The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, an online campaign to protect journalists against violence, foresees a significant rise in attacks.
The number of violent attacks on the media has spiralled since the start of the year. The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, an online campaign to protect journalists against violence, foresees a significant rise in attacks.

Journalists – both Afghan and foreign – face threats from within and outside the government; from security forces and powerful individuals including Taleban. There were atleast 41 cases of violence in 2013.

Mahboob Shah Mahboob, an independent journalist, says attacks on the media are far more frequent than reported. To strengthen the rights of press freedom he feels, “The slightest threat to media freedom should be investigated.”

Sayeedulah Salam, a Ghazni-based reporter for a Kabul media organisation, is very concerned. “We feel the level of violence from government side and security forces is high. Nor can we go to the villages because of fear of Taleban,” he says.

In his opinion a coalition government – a bid to solve the presidential poll crisis – cannot be serious about protecting media freedom. “It would create a risky situation for journalists because both sides have warlords and putting in practice democratic principles would be difficult,” he feels. Steps to protect the freedom of the media must be a priority, he says.

Abdul Qayum Weyar, a member of the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC), warns any more violence could trigger an exodus of journalists. Women would be the first to be affected. “If this happens it could affect the development sector as well,” he says.

Media freedom is one of the biggest achievements in the past 13 years. But it has come at a big price, says AJSC. Since 2001, 38 journalists have been killed – many of them foreigners. Afghanistan was at sixth-place on the Global Impunity Index for 2004-13 tabulated by the Committee to Protect Journalists – an index of countries failing to track down the perpetrators of targetted killings of journalists.

AJSC’s latest data shows that in the second half of 2013, thirty five cases of violence against journalists have taken place and government workers were responsible for 68 percent of the incidents.

Since the beginning of 2014, the committee has documented 17 cases, which shows a 30.8 percent rise compared to last year.