Afghanistan: Afghan Women Journalists Under Grave Risk, Amidst Rising Threats

Threats
Written By 
Location: Afghanistan
Date: January 26, 2021

There has been a recent wave of killings targeting human rights workers and journalists in Afghanistan. Separatist organizations have admitted to organizing a terror cell to attack journalists, who they claim are easy targets. Many women journalists have fled the country for their protection, while the rest seek political asylum to live their life peacefully. Farahnaz Forotan, Fatema Hashim, Nazifa, and Mariam Alimi are some of the many women journalists targeted with death threats in the latest series of killings in Afghanistan. CFWIJ finds this situation highly alarming and calls upon the Afghan government and authorities to ensure journalists' safety.

Farahnaz Forotan is a political presenter who recently fled the country and has taken refuge in France. Farahnaz has worked with various channels in Afghanistan and left her country because of recent security threats. She announced on her Twitter account, “I went to France on a long-term visa and am currently in Turkey.”

Fatemeh Hashim, another female journalist and chief editor of Khaama Press has left Afghanistan after continuous death threats. She said the situation has become unfortunate for civil society and journalists. The journalist described Kabul as a city of terror for journalists, saying it is a miracle to survive and perform your duty. She decided to flee the country, determined to achieve her goals. Fatemeh reports fearlessly on crimes committed by insurgents and other issues that plague the Afghan nation.

Nazifa Mahbobi has worked as a journalist in Afghanistan for years,  spending most of her career with Radio Free Europe. Despite her dedication, she could not remain in the country amidst the recent killings. As the sole breadwinner for her family, Nazifa felt herself dying inside as the threats became more serious. Nazifa received intelligence information from authorities claiming that insurgents were planning to kill her, leading to her retreat. Insurgents stormed her house to kill her, but fortunately, she was not home. Nazifa now remains in hiding and has no plans to return to Kabul.


Mariam Alimi is a photojournalist who has been working in Afghanistan since 2006. Given the recent killings, she no longer feels safe leaving her home. She is committed to leaving Afghanistan to stay alive and seek asylum in a western country. Mariam fears that if something happens to her, her family would be shattered. For Mariam, it was hard to overcome the culture and society that considers her work against Islamic values. She often shares her personal views on her Twitter account, fighting the stereotypical norms of society.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism finds this situation very alarming and urges government authorities in Afghanistan to consider journalists’ safety a priority while discussing the peace process. No woman journalist should be threatened, harassed or intimidated for her career. We hope the necessary action will be taken to ensure the safety of women journalists, allowing them to work without the shadow of debilitating fear.

 

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.

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