KABUL (SW) – Latests and ongoing incidents of the arrests of journalists and media workers by the Islamic Emirate forces have drawn strong criticism from media support groups.
The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee called these moves by the Islamic Emirate as illegal act and said that the arrest of journalists had a negative impact on the general condition of the independent media and its activities.
Jamil Waqar, a member of the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, told Salam Watandar that the Islamic Emirate has not shown any commitment to institutionalizing freedom of speech and media activities. Waqar suggested that in order to improve the media situation in the country, the Islamic Emirate should resume the work of the Media Violations and Access to Information Commissions.
On the other hand, the Federation of Afghan Journalists and Media Foundations has also called for the reactivation of these commissions.
Ali Asghar Akbarzada, a member of the foundation, told Salam Watandar that the only way out of the current situation was to reactivate this commissions.
Zahra Mousavi, a former commissioner of the Media Violations and Access to Information Commissions, recently wrote on her Facebook page in response to the Islamic Emirate’s arrest of journalists and media workers that the practice was against the media law.
A while back, the Mass Media Law was declared enforceable by the Islamic Emirate and it was promised that a media violations commission and a joint media and government commission would be set up, but so far nothing has been done about the establishment of these commissions
At the same time, a number of journalists have expressed concern over the arrest of media workers, calling it a step against freedom of expression and the functioning of the media.
The arrests of journalists and media workers, they say, have led them to censor themselves.
We tried to get the opinion of the Islamic Emirate on the Commission, but Bilal Karimi, the Deputy Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, answered the question like this: “The Islamic Mart has been in contact with the media. Spokespersons of the Islamic Emirate have met with media officials more than three times and talked to them about various issues that may be considered media violations and challenges in the future”.
Meanwhile, the arrests of journalists and media workers have provoked an international outcry as well.
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