According to monitoring agency’s new report, “Taliban commanders and fighters have engaged in a pattern of threats, intimidation, and violence against members of the media in areas where the Taliban have significant influence, as well as in Kabul.”
The Taliban commanders and fighters at province and district levels also threat journalists orally and written beyond the areas under the group’s control.
The report further added that since the start of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, threats and attacks against journalists have sharply soared in the country already torn by decades-long war and violence, which has heightened concerns over preserving the freedom of press and expression.
“Those making the threats often have an intimate knowledge of a journalist’s work, family, and movements and use this information to either compel them to self-censor, leave their work altogether,” it said. They have faced violent consequences in some cases.
“A wave of threats and killings has sent a chilling message to the Afghan media at a precarious moment as Afghans on all sides get set to negotiate free speech protections in a future Afghanistan,” Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director for Human Rights Watch.
“By silencing critics through threats and violence, the Taliban have undermined hopes for preserving an open society in Afghanistan,” she said.
The Taliban denied to be responsible for these attacks, saying they only require journalists to respect Islamic values.
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