The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO) has addressed the United Nations (UN) Secretary General in an open letter, outlining the challenges faced by Afghan journalists and urging for the protection of free speech in Afghanistan.
Signed by 600 individuals, the letter outlines the increasing dangers faced by Afghan media and the economic and security challenges they face. It calls for attention from the UN, the Human Rights Council, and other international organizations, with six explicit requests.
“We call on the United Nations to increase pressure on the Taliban to respect freedom of speech and to impose more sanctions on them.” It emphasizes the need for “recognizing the restriction of freedom of speech and freedom of media in Afghanistan as a human tragedy.”
The second request addresses the urgent needs of imprisoned and exiled journalists, stating, “Journalists who have taken refuge in neighboring and some other countries [abroad] are in a deplorable situation and need urgent support.”
Thirdly, it calls for the protection of exiled journalists from professional alienation and promoting capacity-building. And fourthly, asks the international community to help relocate journalists in neighboring countries like Iran, Pakistan, and India to safer locations.
As the people of Afghanistan struggle to get accurate access to information as the Taliban continue to crackdown on news sources and control content, the letter fifthly proposes the establishment of an impartial, international news network in exile to provide accurate information to Afghan citizens. It calls for “the creation of media alternatives, including an international, impartial and professional news network in exile, can have a significant impact on access to information.”
And finally, the letter asks for the full attention and support from the UN and human rights organizations for journalist and media advocacy groups in Afghanistan. The signatories underline how Afghanistan’s situation has worsened since the Taliban takeover, as many journalists face arrest, torture, threats, and imprisonment. Some have been detained and never released with no knowledge of what has happened to them.
With the release of the open letter, the authors hope to garner more international support and attention to address the challenges they face in their pursuit of free speech and unbiased reporting, which has proven impossible under the de facto rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
