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End of “Freedom of Speech and post-freedom of speech” in Afghanistan

27 October 2021

Jamshid yama amiri

The collapse of the government in Afghanistan has affected journalists and media workers more than any other social class. On the one hand, journalists have come under the scrutiny of armed opposition groups and extremists, and on the other hand, at least dozens of video, print and audio media outlets have been shut down in Kabul and other provinces, leaving hundreds of journalists and media workers unemployed.

In one month alone, numbers of journalists were beaten while covering street protests and reporting on the general situation in the country, while others were arrested or imprisoned. In Kabul, the editor-in-chief of the ‘Hashte Subh Daily’ newspaper was arrested, and the reporters of the ‘Etitaatroz daily’ newspaper were brutally tortured and beaten. Also, a reporter from ‘Afghan news’ was tortured in the capital for interviewing a woman. The Taliban told him that your action is worse than killing a human being! In Herat a journalist has been missing for a month now.

Right now, dozens of active and well-known journalists in the country are currently in hiding due to their work history and face a serious security threat.

Given the current level of threats, vulnerability, and limited space for media and journalists to work in Afghanistan, international organizations have placed journalists at the top of their list of vulnerable groups to be evacuated from Afghanistan, and it is for this reason that countries have given priority for journalists in their evacuation program.

During the evacuation mission at Kabul airport which lasted till August 31, the United States, Canada and some European countries have asked media officials to share lists of journalists and staff for evacuation from Afghanistan. However, some media outlets and officials have listed their family members, relatives and friends instead of journalists and media workers. And in some cases they have received several thousands of American dollars for including people’s names in the list of evacuees.

In the most recent case, Bloomberg News Agency has revealed that Kam Air Airline officials had evacuated their employees and their families instead of 150 Afghan journalists. This is just a small and a rare case that has come out to public, because the domestic media do not dare to cover these stories and international media do not investigate such stories.

Chaos, lack of a transparent mechanism, abuse and state of emergency have deprived most of the real journalists and media workers from evacuation  and are currently residing in Afghanistan.

A reporter from one of the well-established leading media outlet speaking on the condition of anonymity have said that ‘during the evacuation in Kabul, our media official sent a list of his family and relatives to the US embassy for evacuation instead of the journalists and media staffs. I am still in Afghanistan and dealing with security threats. Now the officials are in the US and does not respond to our calls. And another journalists who currently resides in the US tells that the medial official received money from me in order to put my name in the list of the evacuees.  

On the other hand, during the evacuation some countries, institutions and international organizations responsible for evacuation have failed to identify the qualified individuals for evacuation and have failed to provide a transparent mechanism for evacuation. As a result of this, thousands of ordinary and rich individuals were evacuated instead of journalists and media staff.

In the light of the current situation, the officials of most free media organizations have left the country and they are not responding to the journalists left in Kabul. Because they are accused of misusing the name of journalists. Currently, journalists are living under the worst and most difficult psychological and security condition.

However, reports from the past one-month of Taliban rule in Afghanistan indicates that the chapter of ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘free and democratic media’ has come to an end. There is no more freedom of speech nor post-freedom of speech. Before the collapse of the government in Afghanistan, few thought that progress in freedom of expression and media in Afghanistan would be so weak, unstable and shaky.

 Media outlets who were considered to be the symbol of the post-2001 Afghanistan and were considered to be the biggest achievement of the international community now has changed into a platform for Taliban. Well-known and experienced journalists have either left the country or living in hiding.  While others looking for ways to leave the country. Local media outlets have been replaced by regional media outlets affiliated to Taliban. Also, the trust of domestic media has significantly decreased. Thus, the activity of the media in terms of professionalism, audience and impartial coverage of events and news seems to go back to the first 20 years. This means the end of golden period of freedom of speech in Afghanistan.

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