Threats from everywhere
In Afghanistan we have around 20 television stations, over 80 radio stations and more than 200 newspapers, weeklies and monthly magazines. But in spite of the mushrooming media sector, the matter of freedom of expression is not fully practiced.
Most of the media try to expose what happens inside Afghanistan in a professional way. We also give critical views of daily “abnormalities” in this country. As a consequence we also receive regular threats, not only from the Taliban militants but also from the government’s security organizations and from local warlords.
I am one of those journalists who get frequent phone warnings from Taliban. This happens after that I produced a radio report about the side effects of the suicide attacks.
The Taliban always react to media criticism against the way they operate, especially when we publish something about and against the suicide attacks. Taliban also put pressure on journalists and try to force us to publish stories that they want us to put forward. If you refuse to publish – simply because the story is not balanced – then you are likely to have a telephone warning from the Taliban.
We have more or less the same problem with both the government and with the opposition. They will call you and ask you to release a certain report and if you don’t they will get quite angry with you. We have had trouble with the government’s security forces and as if that were not enough, we sometimes also get threats from foreign forces.
Roznama Mandegar and Roznama Nukhost are editors of two popular Dari language newspapers. Some time ago they were both arrested by Afghan intelligence agencies that wished to investigate why the newspapers have criticized the government. The editors were released after some time. The intelligence service also cracked down on some journalists from the private Noorin TV, Aryiana TV and some other media. Recently several journalists were detained for a short time in the national security department detention centre. Some journalists were killed or injured during the foreign forces operation in the eastern Laghman province and elsewhere.
Even if you are not killed and even if you are released after some investigation, this kind of actions against the media is scaring. An inevitable result is that we start using “the trick” of self-censorship. Many journalists actually do that and so I believe that although a full freedom of speech for the media is guaranteed on paper, by the Afghan constitution, it is rarely there in practical life.
Mujahid JawadReporter and news anchor
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Liberty (Radio Azadi)
Kabul, Afghanistan
