UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Urges Taliban to Respect Free Media in Afghanistan

According to the media watchdog, Taliban and ISIS attacks on journalists in Balkh province have been the main reasons for the increase in violence against journalists and media in Afghanistan.

AFJC has recorded cases of killing of one journalist, 21 injuries, six physical violence incidents, 115 cases of threats, and 70 cases of detentions of journalists in Afghanistan over the past year.

The report stated that Afghan-French journalist Mortaza Behboudi, and Afghan journalist Khairullah Parhar continue to remain in detention under the Taliban.

Afghanistan Journalists Center stressed that except for one attack on the lives of journalists that took place in Mazar-e-Sharif and ISIS claimed responsibility for it, the Taliban have been behind other cases of violence, detention, and threats against journalists.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the UN Secretary-General announced a 50 percent increase in the killing of journalists in 2022.

He said that in 2022, at least 67 media workers have been killed around the world. According to him, one out of every four female journalists has been subjected to online harassment.

The Indonesian foreign minister stressed that other matters of discussion revolved around assessing the situation of the human rights situation in Afghanistan.

The UN Secretary-General and more than 20 representatives of various countries and international organisations participated in the two-day Doha meeting.

The United Nations had previously announced in a statement that human rights, the rights of women and girls, the formation of an inclusive government, and combating terrorism and drug trafficking are the key issues on the agenda of the Doha meeting.

Diplomats present in Doha told Afghanistan International that countries including Russia, Pakistan, and China have been working to find a way to support the recognition of the Taliban.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Deputy Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani, told reporters on Monday on the sidelines of the Doha meeting that 40 million Afghans should not be victims of politics.

The source added that if the agenda had not been disclosed, the Taliban’s recognition would have been the focus of the Doha meeting.

The source who spoke to Maryam Rahmati, Afghanistan International’s correspondent in Doha on the condition of anonymity, said that a contact group with the Taliban was supposed to be formed at the Doha meeting, which could explain the conditions of the international community for recognition of the group to the Taliban officials.

Earlier, Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, at Princeton University, revealed the convening of the Doha meeting and said that discussions about the recognition of the Taliban are on the agenda of the meeting.

Mohammed had said, “We hope that we'll find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition [of the Taliban], a principled recognition. Is it possible? I don't know. [But] that discussion has to happen. The Taliban clearly want recognition, and that's the leverage we have."

These remarks of the UN deputy secretary general have been met with widespread reactions from Afghans inside and abroad the country. In the latest move, Afghans held demonstrations in Kabul and Takhar and fifteen other cities around the world urging the UN to refrain from any action that would lead to the recognition of the Taliban.

Even, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission asked Mohammed to apologise to the people of Afghanistan, especially women, for her recent statements regarding the recognition of the Taliban.

This is while, the second day of the Doha meeting, between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and representatives of 20 started on Tuesday.

The correspondent of Afghanistan International in Doha said that the second day of the meeting has been also held behind closed doors and did not provide access to the media.

The UN-hosted meeting has been held at the "Sharq" hotel in Doha city.

A diplomatic source in Qatar said on Monday, on the first day of the Doha meeting, that the Doha meeting "is the beginning of the process of recognising the Taliban”.

He added that those who talk against the Taliban will be killed, “one by one with a knife”.

He warned that the Taliban has hundreds of volunteers to target such opponents of the group outside Afghanistan.

According to Khosty, those who oppose the Taliban in Europe and the United States “seek unity and leadership”.

The former spokesperson of Haqqani has called the opponents of the Taliban “wild animals”.

He stressed that foreign intelligence agencies target their opponents outside their countries and questioned the Taliban as to “why couldn’t they do this?”

In the past 18 months, there have been credible reports by national and international organisations and rights groups that the Taliban have suppressed their critics and opponents inside Afghanistan with various brutal tactics, including imprisonment and torture.

The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on the media and have widely surveyed and trolled Afghan citizens on social media.

Earlier on Monday, Afghan women activists had also participated in an online discussion with some of the participants of the Doha meeting on Monday.

Hina Rabbani, Pakistan’s deputy foreign minister, is also participating in the meeting hosted by the United Nations hosted in Doha.

The UN announced that the Doha meeting will discuss the international community’s engagement with the Taliban too. However, Taliban representatives have not been invited to the Doha meeting.

Apparently, no one from other political factions and civil activists of Afghanistan have too been invited to participate in the Doha meeting.

Over the weekend, Afghan citizens have held protests in Kabul and 15 cities around the world and asked the United Nations and the international community to avoid taking decisions in the Doha meeting that would lead to "recognition of the Taliban."

On Sunday, the UN spokesperson said in a statement, "On May 1 and 2, the Secretary General of the Organisation will host representatives of countries for Afghanistan to reach common views on key issues such as human rights, rights of women and girls, inclusive governance, and counterterrorism and anti-narcotics issues.”