Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have written to Richard Bennett, the UN's new special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, calling for urgent action to defend journalists and press freedom in Afghanistan, where arbitrary arrests are on the rise and a climate of fear has taken hold in all media outlets.
The appointment of Bennett, an academic with British and New Zealand dual nationality, was announced by the UN Human Rights Council on 27 March.
RSF's letter draws Bennett's attention to the fact that - despite a claim by government spokesman and deputy information and culture minister Zabihullah Mujahid in February that the March 2015 the media law is still in effect - the press freedom situation has worsened dramatically, that journalists are being arrested arbitrarily and that new restrictions have been imposed on them and media outlets.
The new restrictions include an information and culture ministry decree on March 28, banning privately-owned TV channels from retransmitting news programmes provided by international broadcasters - BBC, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle - in local languages (Dari, Pashto and Uzbek). When contacted by RSF, a ministry spokesman blamed the ban on "the problem of the attire worn by these media's women presenters, after several warnings."
According to RSF, the harassment of journalists has intensified as a result of the new restrictions, especially since the start of 2022, causing widespread alarm within the media.
"Threats and arbitrary arrests have increased and officials with the various security services, especially the intelligence services (Istikhbarat) can now ban broadcasts and programmes and can go directly to media outlets to arrest journalists or other employees," the media watchdog said.
At least 50 media workers were arrested by the Afghan police and intelligence services from August 15, 2021 (the date of Kabul's fall to the Taliban) and February 4, 2022.
"As the regime continues to arrest journalists and step up pressure on the media, the press freedom situation in Afghanistan must not pass under the radar of the international community's attention," said RSF advocacy and assistance director Antoine Bernard. "From the new UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, we expect the maximum possible involvement in support of free, pluralist and independent journalism."
RSF stresses the arbitrary nature of these arrests to the special rapporteur. Afghanistan is ranked 122nd out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index that RSF published in April 2021.
( With inputs from ANI )
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