World News | Attack on journalists a blow to free expression in Afghanistan: UN

kabul [Afghanistan]March 12 (ANI): UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said the attack on journalists in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif province was a blow to freedom of expression, the Khaama Press reported.

Bennett said he was closely monitoring the attack at a rally to reward journalists at the Tebyan cultural center in northern Mazar-i-Sharif province. The UN special rapporteur has stressed the need to strengthen security measures for journalists in Afghanistan.

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According to the Tebyan Cultural Center, “Three people were killed and 30 others were injured in the incident, including a large number of journalists.”

At least 15 journalists were injured in the incident, according to the Journalists Rights Defenders Group, and the situation is getting tougher for Afghan journalists and media workers.

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The attack took place during a rally in Mazar-i-Sharif that honored journalists for their tireless efforts to update the world on challenges and developments in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.

This is the second terrorist incident in Mazar-e-Sharif in the past three days. The first was a suicide attack that killed Balkh governor Mullah Muhammad Dawood Muzamil, and the second was an explosion targeting a gathering of journalists.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack and the motive behind the incident is being investigated.

Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the group has imposed some severe restrictions on the media and journalists. Under these decrees, no private or public media outlet or news channel may criticize members of the Taliban or speak against the de facto regime in Afghanistan.

According to the “Tolo News” report, recently, female journalists in Farah Province, Afghanistan, strongly called for the resumption of media activities that have been suspended since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the US military in August last year.

Female journalists at a meeting in Farah province urged Taliban officials to resume media operations.

Tolo News quotes Marzia Noorzai as saying: “So far women have not been allowed 100% to continue their activities, but they say they will allow them. We will be happy if they allow us and actually keep their promises, “A reporter said.

Representatives of Naw-e-Zan Radio said that in addition to obtaining media operation authorization, they also hope to obtain financial assistance to maintain media operations. Many media outlets in the war-torn country have closed due to a lack of funding and the Taliban’s strict measures against the press. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)