Journalist Stefanie Glinski and nine other journalists were detained by the United States Armed Forces at Kabul airport. They were intercepted before they could continue into the city. Despite the journalists wanting to stay in Kabul and arranging transport between the airport and the city, the U.S. forces deported the journalists. The marines allegedly pushed journalists onto an airplane that was meant for vulnerable Afghans looking to flee.

The threatened yet resilient Afghan women journalists shared stories of despair, fear, and silence as The Coalition For Women In Journalism was flooded by applications for assistance. With a tireless team effort and sincere commitment to our women journalists on the ground, we have managed to relocate more than 30 at-risk individuals so far. The bustling Afghan media that once thrived even amidst the worst of threats is now finding it hard to survive under Taliban rule.

Shabnam Dawran, a broadcaster at state-run news channel Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), was denied entry to work. In a video message Shabnam shared with the private news network, TOLO News, she alleged the Taliban barred her from entering the news station and told her to “go home”. Shabnam was dressed in a hijab and presented her work ID, but was not allowed into the Kabul-based network. Another female presenter, Khadija Amin, was instructed to go home and wait when she tried to return to work on August 18.

The withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan after the failure of their nation-building experiment in the region that began two decades ago, and the subsequent Taliban takeover of Kabul has resulted in widespread fear across the country. Several journalists, news media organizations, activists, non-government organizations, women and minority groups now fear a threat to their lives and seek asylum elsewhere.

Storay Karimi, the only war correspondent associated with Pajhwok Afghan News, had to leave her home this week after she received death threats from extremists. Storay was reporting from the western city of Herat before heading to Kabul. Another woman journalist, Somaia Valizadeh, also expressed her concerns over the control of extremist elements. Somaia voiced that women journalists will have to leave their jobs and livelihood if the Taliban takes Herat.

A reporter for Ariana News, Mina Khairi was murdered on Thursday evening in Kabul. Ariana News confirmed her death this morning. Khairi died alongside her mother in an IED blast. She is the fourth Afghan journalist to be killed this year, raising alarm on the dangers the Afghan journalist community, specially women journalists, are being forced to confront.

As militants continue to target women journalists in the country to terrorize civilians, Neda Sadeq Oghlo emerges as a symbol of resistance. Despite the threats, Neda recently established her own radio channel. According to Neda, this is the time for civil society to actively work towards peace, and the media industry is one of the avenues she believes could make a difference. CFWIJ commends Neda’s courage and commitment to journalism.

The recent wave of violence against women journalists in Afghanistan has led several women to quit their jobs, fearing for their lives. The attacks escalated following the peace negotiations between the U.S. government and the Taliban leadership. The assaults and murders are widely believed to be carried out by extremist groups looking to derail the process. CFWIJ condemns the relentless attacks against women journalists and demands Afghan authorities to take action.

Fatima Roshanian, an editor for the feminist magazine Nimorkh Weekly, is working from home after being identified by extremists. In a list issued by a terrorist organization, Fatima is the eleventh person named. After the list was shared, Fatima confined herself in her home and limited her movement. Fatima has angered the conservative society of Afghanistan with her coverage of bold topics like women and sex. She believes that such lists are purposely shared by sympathizers of extremist organizations to have people killed. The journalist takes the threats very seriously after the recent wave of killings against activists and journalists in Afghanistan. CFWIJ is alarmed by the grave threats targeting Fatima. We urge the Afghan government to take immediate action to ensure journalists’ safety and freedom of the press.

Three women media-workers were shot by terror outfits in the city. All three victims worked at Enikass Radio and TV. This is the latest attack, in what has now emerged as a pattern, on Afghan women journalists by fundamentalist groups, and has understandably sent shockwaves around the world.

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.

Malalai Maiwand, an anchor on Enikas Radio and TV in Afghanistan, was killed on Human Rights Day along with her driver, Mohammad Tahir, when the gunmen opened fire on the vehicle in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns this horrific attack against Malalai and demands an immediate investigation into her murder. The brutal killing of the journalist and human rights advocate is a harrowing example of the crackdown on press freedom in Afghanistan.

Afghan police raided photojournalist Tahereh Rezaei's house, searched it without a warrant, and terrorized her and her guests. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this grave violation of privacy and consequent threat to press freedom. We are alarmed for the safety of women journalists in Afghanistan.

Reporters Without Borders has recognized TOLOnews journalist Anisa Shaheed for "courageous" reporting amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the murder of our colleague Afghan journalist Mina Mangal.