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IFJ reiterates calls to Afghan govt to safeguard the lives of journalists

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The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the killing of well-known Ghazni-based journalist Rahmatullah Nikzad, who was gunned down outside his home on Monday night. 
 
In a statement issued by the IFJ on Tuesday, the organization’s General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: “Afghanistan has descended again in terms of journalist safety in 2020 with at least eight media workers killed to date, up from six in 2019. 
 
“The IFJ again implores that the Afghan government must increase its efforts to ensure the safety of journalists in this volatile space. 
 
“Too often journalists are the target, often between internal conflicts and the quest for power. Journalists’ lives must be respected and defended,” Bellanger stated.
 
The IFJ’s Afghanistan affiliate the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA) also condemned “the heinous assassination” and caled for swift action to locate and bring the perpetrators to justice.
 
The AIJA said: “AIJA strongly condemns the killing and call it a crime against humanity. AIJA shares empathy with his family and urges the Security forces to investigate the killing and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
 
Nikzad, a reporter, photographer and chief of the Ghazni Journalists’ Union, was killed by unknown gunmen outside his home on Monday night. 
 
According to the IFJ, Nikzad was shot three times in the chest with a pistol fitted with a silencer as he left his home to visit a local mosque. 
 
The gunmen have not yet been identified and no group has claimed responsibility. 
 
Nikzad, who was in his mid-40s, was a Ghazni resident and started working as a journalist in 2003. 
 
He was associated with several international news outlets and worked on a freelance basis with Al Jazeera and Associated Press. 
 
Al Jazeera issued a statement on Twitter and strongly condemned the attack and attempts to silence journalists in the country and stated it was “shocked at the news of the killing of our cameraman Rahmatullah Nikzad, a former colleague who worked with our team in Afghanistan.”
 
The Taliban meanwhile were quick to distance themselves from the incident on Monday night. Soon after news broke of Nikzad’s death, Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban,  stated they were not involved in the shooting. 
 
Mujahid said Nikzad was a committed journalist and had “maintained good relations” with the group. “We consider this killing a loss for the country,” he said.
 
Nikzad is the third media worker to be killed in Afghanistan this month. On December 10, female reporter Malala Maiwand, and her driver Mohammad Tahir, were shot and killed when assailants opened fire on their car while she was on her way to work in Jalalabad, in Nangarhar province.
 
IS (Daesh) claimed responsibility for the attack. 
 
On November 12, Radio Free Europe correspondent Elias Daei was killed in a targeted magnetic mine explosion in Lashkar Gah.
 
However, the latest killing brings the total number of journalists killed in the past two months to five. 

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Justice Ministry: Protests of Islamic laws considered protests against Sharia

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The Ministry of Justice announced on Wednesday that there is no article, clause, subsection, provision, or ruling in the legislative documents of the Islamic Emirate that is contrary to Islamic Sharia or lacks a Sharia-based source. Rather, these documents are fully in accordance with Islamic Sharia, and protesting against them is considered a protest against Sharia itself.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Justice, such protests have no Sharia-based or scholarly foundation and are carried out, out of ignorance or deliberate disregard. Such actions are deemed a crime under Sharia, and those who object to these laws will be referred to judicial and legal bodies for prosecution, the statement read.

“The legislative documents of the Islamic Emirate are drafted and derived by multiple committees of qualified Afghan scholars at the level of each relevant ministry and department, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Office of the Leader of the Islamic Emirate, using the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him), and authoritative Hanafi jurisprudential texts,” the statement reads.

The Ministry of Justice further emphasized that the aforementioned legislative documents are repeatedly reviewed for compliance with Islamic Sharia and, after that, are submitted to the Leader of the Islamic Emirate for endorsement.

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Conference on Qatar’s mediation diplomacy held in Kabul

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The Center of Strategic Studies at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organized an academic conference titled “Mediation Diplomacy in Qatar’s Foreign Policy.”

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar’s Ambassador, Mirdef Al Qashouti, delivered a detailed and comprehensive presentation examining the role and importance of mediation diplomacy within Qatar’s foreign policy framework.

The conference was attended by a number of officials and staff members from various departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as researchers, professors, and students of international relations from universities across the country.

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Muttaqi holds talks with Turkmenistan FM on expanding regional cooperation

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Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, held a video conference with Rashid Meredov, First Deputy Chair of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, to discuss expanding regional cooperation and future bilateral plans for this year.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi welcomed the positive momentum in relations between the two countries, noting that strengthened and substantive ties have led to the launch of practical work on the TAPI gas pipeline project along the Herat route. He added that railway and power transmission (TAP) projects are also close to implementation, reflecting the steady expansion of bilateral relations.

Rashid Meredov highlighted the long-standing and friendly relations between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, expressing satisfaction with the growing cooperation at various levels. He emphasized the need for close coordination in implementing joint economic projects, facilitating official visits by senior officials, and organizing upcoming bilateral initiatives.

The two foreign ministers concluded the talks by underscoring the importance of enhancing regional cooperation and dialogue, particularly along the Afghanistan–Central Asia corridor, describing such engagement as both significant and valuable.

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