KABUL (Pajhwok): Leading media outlets have called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take serious actions to check violence against journalists in Afghanistan.
In a letter to the influential UN body on November 18, Afghanistan’s journalist community voiced concerns over growing violence against media professionals.
The letter urged the UN council to initiate concrete actions to reduce violence and pressure the perpetrators to stop targeting journalists.
The letter was submitted to United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan office in Kabul.
The Afghan Journalist Safety Committee (AJSC), International Media Support (IMS) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) endorsed the letter.
RSF said in a statement the three media support organisations also said that without respecting fundamental international covenants, peace talks were untenable
They underlined the safety of the media personnel under the Geneva Conventions, which treat media and journalists as protected civilian entities and individuals.
Under the covenants and conventions, journalists and media outlets are to be immune from military attack.
Accepting international commitments required ensuring the security of journalists and the cessation of violence against them, the SF statement added.
“Afghan media and journalists do not deserve to become helpless due to the silence of the international institutions and its highest body, the United Nations.”
Press freedom and the expansion of the media landscape is one of the most significant achievements of Afghanistan in the last two decades.
Given Afghanistan’s political and security challenges, RSF warned, the achievement was extremely vulnerable.
There were serious concerns that with the escalation of insecurity and conflict, this achievement would perish, the statement added.
“Despite Afghan journalists’ courage and dedication to continue their profession, the rise of threats and violence against them is shrinking the environment.”
On December 10, gunmen killed Malalai Maiwand, a journalist with Enekaas TV and member of the Centre for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists (CPAWJ) in the eastern city of Jalalabad.
At least 100 journalists – 16 of them foreigners – have been killed while more than 60 media outlets have been destroyed or attacked.
Under Afghan law, ensuring the security of journalists and media outlets is a fundamental responsibility of the government.
Efforts by the Afghan government have not been sufficient in preventing crimes and prosecuting the perpetrators of violence against journalists.
The media support organisations urged UN Security Council to support the media community in decreasing violence against journalists in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1738 (December 23, 2006) and UN General Assembly Resolution (November 26, 2013).
“The three institutions believe that violence benefits from the culture of impunity. Ensuring justice for victims is an effective step towards supporting press freedom in Afghanistan and reducing violence against journalists.
The organisations also declared their readiness to cooperate with international institutions on the promotion of safety for journalists.
pr/mud
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