2015 “bloodiest year” for Afghan journalists

Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan- (NAI) says that the year 2015 was the bloodiest year for Afghan journalists.

NAI stated that 2015 was followed with many violence against journalists that 12 cases of murder are among the registered cases.

“The armed Taliban group have threaten media and journalists in an organized way which the deadliest incident was the suicide attack on Moby Group’s journalists,” said Sidiqullah Tawhidi, head of NAI.

In this year, women have dramatically abandoned media which insecurity and lack of impunity were said to be the main reasons.

The list of registered cases against journalists in 2015 are as follows:

12 cases of murder

23 cases of injuries

3 cases of detainees

15 cases of beating and assassinations

26 cases of violence by government

64 cases of violence by Taliban

1 case of violence by NATO forces have been registered.

This comes as many Afghan journalists have fled their war-torn country en masse to seek asylum in Western countries over these serious security threats.

The journalists left the country primarily due to insecurity, and pressure from the government, powerful armed groups, the Taliban, and official censorship.

Violence against journalists in Afghanistan has been steadily increasing in 2015 as the Peace Talks with the armed Taliban group still continues.

The latest upsurge in violence against journalists follows a short period of opening and development in the media.

While Afghan journalists have made great strides in establishing media outlets and providing Afghans with comprehensive coverage of local and national events in recent years, there are still many challenges being faced by local and foreign journalists alike, namely, harassment, threats and lack of support from government authorities.