KABUL (SW) – The UN Security Council has been urged to play its part in ensuring safety of the Afghan journalists amid targeted assassination spree in the war-ravaged country.
In a joint letter to the UNSC, journalists and press freedom institutions as well as the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has warned continuation of the situation would leave devastating impacts on the state of press freedom in the country.
The letter noted that since the US – Taliban deal in February last year, the security situation has deteriorated alarmingly. It urged the UNSC to push the warring factions in Afghanistan to end violence against journalists in line with the Resolution 2222 and other resolutions. It added that though the Afghan government has undertaken certain measures to ensure safety of the journalists, however, the prevailing culture of impunity continued to pose grim threats.
Fareeda Nekzad, deputy head of the women journalists’ protection body, has said if the government failed to ensure safety of the journalists their voices might get silenced. She also called for more advocacy and actions from press freedom institutions in this regard.
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