(RSF/IFEX) – The following is the Taliban’s reaction to the RSF report titled “Taliban and the media. A country with no news and pictures”: Kabul, 28 September 2000 Press release from the Bakthar news agency It is obvious that political regimes and systems face opposition from other States and political or cultural organisations and are […]
(RSF/IFEX) – The following is the Taliban’s reaction to the RSF report titled “Taliban and the media. A country with no news and pictures”:
Kabul, 28 September 2000
Press release from the Bakthar news agency
It is obvious that political regimes and systems face opposition from other States and political or cultural organisations and are victims of the irresponsible acts of their enemies. The organisation Reporters Sans Frontières, based in Paris, recently published contradictory and irresponsible remarks about the activity of journalists, with the help of our enemies. This organisation claims that “Afghan journalists live in very hard conditions and are prisoners of the Taliban.” These affirmations are groundless. The report furthermore claims that “radio, press and magazines are forbidden”, yet newspapers like Kabul Times, Tolou’-e Afghan, Aniss, Hiwad, Bidar and Etefagh-e Eslam are published in Afghanistan. At the same time, journals and newspapers edited by journalists and writers still exist. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan facilitates the work of Afghan journalists and has given visas to reporters from Japan, America, England, Canada, Pakistan, France, Qatar, Switzerland, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Ireland, Uzbekistan and Austria. These journalists enjoy full immunity. The report by Reporters Sans Frontières is therefore in contradiction with reality and is part of international propaganda by the enemies of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This enemy propaganda is nothing but irresponsible allegations. Moreover, journalists from Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Voice of America and BBC distribute information and reports from Afghanistan without censorship.
The news agency Bakthar, which is the only official and the most important source of information in Afghanistan, asks all press agencies to ban the distribution of all untruthful reports on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the country’s internal situation.
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