Over 30 cases of violence against reporters logged in Afghanistan under Taliban

More than 30 acts of violence towards journalists have been recorded in Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power, local media reported citing a journalist union.

"Afghanistan's National Journalists' Union conducted a general assessment over the journalists' status for Afghanistan across the country and it shows that over 30 cases of violence against journalists happened," Masroor Lufti, the head of the union, said.

"Nearly 90 per cent of these cases belong to the Taliban," Lufti was quoted by the Afghan TOLO news media.

The Afghan broadcaster said that journalists had requested the Taliban to ensure safety for media workers and secure access to information.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Interior Ministry spokesperson, Sayed Khosti, assured reporters of the security measures that the government is taking. The minister cited some offenders who were arrested for similar crimes.

Last month, several Afghan journalists were reported to have been seized by the Taliban for covering protests in Kabul.

At least 27 Afghan TV and radio broadcasters stopped operations since the Taliban takeover in mid-August, Russian news agency Sputnik reported.

Meanwhile, the Journalists Association in the country has called on the international organizations which stand for freedom of media to support and back Afghanistan's media, saying that there is a lack of access to information despite the introduction of spokespersons to the government departments.

They called on officials of the Islamic Emirate to take steps to resolve the problem faced by the journalists.

( With inputs from ANI )

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