Yama’s murder: Journalists vow to move UNSC

HERAT (Pajhwok): A number journalists and civil rights activists have set up a protest tent in the Farhang square in Herat city, the capital of western Herat province, to demand a probe into journalist Yama Siawash’s murder.

The journalists also collected signatures from Herat residents to follow the slain journalist’s case in international organizations and the UN Security Council.

Herat Journalists criticized the government for not being able to establish justice in the slain journalist’s case even after 40 days of the incident.

Wahid Kamyar, organizer of the protest tent, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 40 days had passed since the death of Yama Siawash but the government was trying to protect the perpetrators.

“The protest tent will stay until Tuesday evening and similar protest tents will be launched in other provinces; after gathering signatures the issue would be presented at the UN Security Council for holding the Afghan government accountable,” he said.

Kamyar said collecting signatures would be carried out in other provinces and the family of Yama Siawash would submit the signatures to the UN Security Council.

A number of journalists in Herat accused the government of lack of response and warned that they would refer the case to the United Nations.

“Media activists and Yama’s family continuously asked for justice but the government has been silent,” Sumaya Walizada, a journalist, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Shekib Shams, another journalist, criticized the government’s lack of response to the case. He added journalists would not allow the government to silence their voices for justice.

Sayed Ashraf Saadat, a civil rights’ activist, said lately many people fell prey to targeted killings but the government was yet to identify or arrest the perpetrators.

The government has not responded to the continuous requests of Yama’s family, media activists and the fact finding commission of the lower house to reveal the CCTV footage of Da Afghanistan Bank regarding the incident.

On the other hand, security officials claim they have captured three suspects in connection with Yama Siawash’s death and the suspects have confessed to their crime.

Yama Siawash, a former Tolo TV and Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) employee, was killed in an IED explosion along with two of his colleagues.

hr/ma

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