Journalists angry over misconduct by First Lady bodyguards

KABUL (Pajhwok): Journalists stopped covering the second hackathon in the capital Kabul following the bad behavior of the country’s first lady bodyguards.

The Ministry of Higher Education on Saturday organized a hackathon that displayed information technology projects from eight universities of the country. First Lady Rula Ghani was also present at the opening of the hackathon.

However, journalists and photographs were barred by bodyguards of Rula Ghani from capturing the exhibition.

The journalists from 13 media outlets also decided to stopped covering the hackathon in protest.

Aziz Azimi, a photographer from Mashal Television Channel, said, “I was recording video in the hackathon when a bodyguard came and pushed me, he told me not to record video,”

He said that when the TV channel reporter, Salim Talash told the bodyguard to allow him for photographing, the bodyguard responded “Do not talk too much, if there were no our VIPs here you could not go safe from me,”

Later, a bodyguard kicked the camera of the private TV channel and did not allow photographing of the display, he said.

Lutfullah Khamosh, a journalist from Milli TV Channel, Afghanistan National TV channel, said that the bodyguards treated journalists bad, and he asked President Ashraf Ghani to prevent such actions.

“Despite they are the bodyguards of the president, but it does not mean they can insult journalists, we all condemn this act,” he said.

Mohammad Anwar, a journalist of Ayna TV channel, also condemned the incident and said, “The presidential palace bodyguards did not allow us to record video of the hackathon, therefore all journalists decided to stop covering this event in protest,”

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