Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC)

Ariana News presenter Fardin Amini died under ‘suspicious circumstances’. He was the third Afghan journalist killed in a month, and only a day after the fatal shooting of Malala Maywand, a female television journalist and her driver in Jalalabad.

Afghan journalist Elyas Da’ee was killed in southern Helmand province when a bomb attached to his car exploded. Prior to his death, Da’ee, a reporter with ‘Radio Azadi’, had reportedly received threats from the Taliban.

The proposed amendments were recalled by Afghan president Ashraf Ghani after an outcry from media outlets. Some of the amendments would have required journalists to disclose their sources and allow government censorship of news reports.

An open letter with more than 200 signatories is asking Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to address the safety and security of media personnel and to follow up cases of violence against journalists.

The proposed amendment expands the list of items prohibited from publication, in addition to removing a provision that allows journalists to avoid disclosing information about their sources.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center has documented 116 cases of violence, threats, insults and harassment against journalists and media workers over the past 12 months.

The Taliban said journalists will be targeted unless news outlets stop broadcasting what they describe as government propaganda against the insurgents.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center recorded a total of 92 cases of violence against journalists in the past year.