Afghanistan: 41 cases of violence against journalists recorded

The Committee to Protect Afghan Journalists (CPAJ) on Thursday said it had registered 41 cases of violence against media representatives during the first six months of the year. In its half-yearly report, the CPAJ said it was deeply concerned about the situation of media outlets, their future and the challenges and threats facing them. CPAJ member Najibullah Sharifi told a press conference in Kabul their findings showed the 41 cases of violence mostly involved government officials, the Taliban and illegal armed groups. He said the concerns about post-2014 situation and the government’s negligence to protect the freedom of speech had encouraged illegal armed groups to threaten journalists. He said incidents of violence against reporters were on the increase amid fears illegal armed groups could resort to further violence in future. With the security environment deteriorating, Sharifi said the government was increasingly denying journalists access to information, mostly in provinces. He said most media outlets in Afghanistan were reliant on foreign aid and they could confront many challenges after 2014 when the aid was said to be cut. The CPJ asked the government to step up efforts at strengthening media organisations, protecting the freedom of speech and keeping the media from collapse.