media watch report - nai.org.afnai.org.af/files/documents/mw/monthly report 153 english.pdf · the...

نی حمایت کنندۀ رسانه های آزاد افغانستانNai supporting open Media in Afghanistan

Media Watch Report

Mohammad Saber Fahim Media Watch Director and Media Analyst

[email protected]

Owner: Nai Monthly Report #153 February 2018

The current issue of Media Watch newsletter covers the following topics:• 24-hours detention of a photojournalist in Kandahar;• Beating of journalists by Daikundi police;• Beating of a journalist by the guards of Khost governor;• Apologies of security officials from Ghazni journalists;• A journalist was accused of collaborating with terrorists in Kandahar;• Stability of Afghan journalists’ problems in having access to information• A journalist complaint about the lack of access to information in Nimruz province;• Threaten of a journalist by the Taliban;• Analysis of the law of access to information.


Media Watch Report


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Violences have been committed by the government and government officials on journalists during the month of February 2018 indicates that freedom of expression and access to information are still facing serious challenges in Af-ghanistan.During the same month (February 2018), a journalist had spent 24-hours in the custody by the order of Kandahar provincial appeal attorney’s office. Three cases of journalists were recorded by police and security officers in Dai-kundi and Khost provinces. Meanwhile, insults and threats of journalists by senior security officials in Ghazni province was recorded, which was ended after the security officials apologized from Journalists.A photographer - famous journalist of Kandahar province was sent to prison on charges of insulting the prosecutors of Kandahar by the order of Kanda-har provincial appeal attorney’s office, but after mediation by Nai office and providing of legal information and reasons according with the law, the pho-tographer-journalist was released after 24 hours.In another event in Daikundi province, director and reporter of the local ra-dio of Nasim Zamani a was vandalized by police officers who wanted to take pictures of prisoners whose arms and legs were closed with a bracelet and moved from the center of city. After being beaten, the journalist was trans-ferred to the Daikundi prison in front of the eyes of the Neeli city citizens.In another case, in Khost province, a local radio correspondent who wanted to enter a public road from subway road accidentally met the guards of the governor of Khost on the road, the journalist was beaten by the guards of the governor of Khost and he was released being insulted. Officials in Khost province said that the governor’s guards thought the person was a terrorist.In Ghazni province, a number of journalists who were invited to attend news coverage of a security briefing were insulted and threatened by soldiers and police officers and army officers. The reporters announced that they do not broadcasting or covering the government news coverage until the matter would be investigated. After litigation of Nai media watch office, the authori-ties of Security in Ghazni province apologized for their actions against jour-nalists, and the issue was resolved with the mediation of Nai office.

PREFACE


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On the other hand, access to information that has been one of the biggest challenges facing reporters over the past years has been continued in Febru-ary. Reporters in northern Nimroz province complained about the spokes-man for the ANP police headquarters, who, with several refer and phone calls, the police spokesman, did not provide the information they have re-quested from him. The Nai media watch office, according to the content of this report wants the national unity government to address the challenges faced by journalists and not to damage the freedom of speech in the country.


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Abdul Ali Afghan, a Photographer (Photojournalist) in Kandahar province, was imprisoned on charge of writ-

ing contemptuous subjects to the address of prosecutors of Kandahar Province on his Facebook wall.

The appeal court prosecutor of the Kandahar province says that Mr. Afghan was arrested based on recently

signed penal codes, and insists that from now on anyone who will insult individuals and people in cyberspace

then will be punished.

Mohammad Saber Fahim, chairman of the Nai office of the media, said that Mr. Abdul Ali Afghan has been

visited in Kandahar province in Kandahar province on charges of insulting prosecutors in the province of

Kandahar.

Mr.Fahim believes that Mr. Abdul Ali’s arrest was against the law of mass media, and that this case should be

investigated through the Media Inspection Commission.

A photojournalist released after 24 hours of detention in Kanda-

har province:


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Mohammad Saber Fahim: “Our colleague, Mr. Abdul Ali Afan, was arrested in Kandahar province on charges

of insulting the prosecutors of Kandahar province, and we started with the release of her release, first issued

a declaration, which was considered unlawful, and We called for the Kandahar Provincial Prosecutor to rule

journalists in accordance with the law. “

The general director of the Nai media also says that Afghanistan’s media law is preeminent in the field of jour-

nalism and freedom of expression, and the Kandahar Appeals Court’s Prosecutor’s Office has requested that the

case be heard by Mr. Afghan Prime in the Commission for the investigation of violations and media violations

at the Ministry of Information and Culture If the commission recognizes that there are criminal cases in this

case, they will refer the case to the judicial and judicial authorities.

With the efforts of the Nai Office, supporting open media in Afghanistan, Mr. Afghan is now abandoned.

“Nai Office, having contacts with the Kandahar Provincial Court of Appeals, asked them to release Mr. Afghan.

That was the reason why the Kandahar Appeal Court Attorney considered the Nai reasons and logics and

released Mr. Afghan again. “

The correspondent of the News Agency, Mr Abdul Ali Afghan, confirmed that he had been detained for about

24 hours at the request of the Kandahar Provincial Prosecutor, and was released after the efforts of the Rey

Office.

The Nai Office asked the Kandahar provincial attorney general’s office to release the reporter as soon as pos-

sible, and in order to enforce the law, refer the case to the Commission for the Investigation of media Viola-

tions of the Ministry of Information and Culture.

In the statement, the Office of Homeland Security detained journalists before filing a lawsuit with the Com-

mission for the investigation of illegal media complaints and violations.

Abdul Mujeeb Khalwatgar, General Director of Nai office said; “Since the media law is preferable in the section

of media, “Every media case must first be investigated by the Commission for investigation of media violations

which was established under the same law, and then in case of founding criminal, the case will be referred to

the judicial and prosecution authorities.

It should be mentioned that no one has the right to insult individuals and legal entities through any instru-

ment.

On the other hand, prosecutors in the country should realize that it is important for the citizens of Afghanistan

to look at the implementation of laws most of all.

The Nai office expresses its satisfaction at the release of Mr. Afghan and requests the Kandahar Provincial At-

torney General’s Office to file a complaint with the Commission for the investigation of violations and media

violations, and the Commission will decide on this matter.


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Mohammad Reza Wahadi, director of the radio and Mr. Javadi, Radio Nasim correspondent in Daikundi, on

Thursday, 1 February 2018 when they took pictures of prisoners that were transporting to Daikundi Jail, were

beaten and insulted by the provincial police.

The transportation of prisoners with handcuffs on hands and on feet and walking from court to prison was in-

teresting for journalists and even for citizens. Reporters from the Nasim radio station, who took pictures from

the transferring of prisoners of this form and face, but the soldiers who were responsible for the transportation

of prisoners were beaten and insulted.

The two correspondents were arrested by the responsible police for a while, and the two journalists were taken

Director and journalist of radio Nasim in Daikundi province was

beaten by the police


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to prison together with the prisoners on the snow and mud for investigating them.

According to Mohammad Reza Wahedi Director of the Nasim radio station, said to the Nai office; during

noon, when they were transporting the prisoners with handcuffs on their hands and feet, we took some picture

from this scene.

Mr. Wahedi says that when they took pictures they were attacked by one of the soldiers, and in addition to not

allowing them to be photographed; they beat Wahedi and his colleague, Mr. Javadi, and took their cell phones

and cameras, and they have taken journalists to the prison on naked feet.

Mr. Wahedi says: “Because the matter was against the law and should not be treated like this by prisoners.

When we took a picture, one of the bodyguards attacked us and told that who has told you to take a picture of

someone and this ... I showed my card and said that we are from the Nasim radio, we just want to take a few

photos. We were talking about that on the same time another soldier pulled the rifle trigger on us and said that

will kill and beat us. He took us on the ground and went on a road and the controversy began, and four men

were taking me and my co-worker without our shoes by naked feet and pushed us up to the prison. “

Meanwhile, Mr. Javadi, a correspondent for Radio Nasim, who was at one place with Mr. Wahedi and who was

beaten and stabbed, says police have spoofed them, in addition to hitting them.

Javadi in addition said: “ they took my camera and beat me and insulted me and they said that you journalists

are like dogs in the street and beat me up and even took me in prison, in They were pulling us on a snow and

mud on the ground and took us to prison. “

During the contact of Nai office with the Daikundi office, The governor’s spokeswoman Ali Akbar Nateqi said

that the matter has been resolved, but is also legally considering this issue. Mr. Nateqi says the governor of

Daikundi has gone to Kabul during a working visit, and after the governor’s return to Daikundi, they are pur-

suing this seriously and legally. The spokesman of the governor emphasizes that they do not allow journalists

and media rights to be violated.

“Today, the head of civil society, Mr. Mohammad Anwar Shahab, called me to the head of civil society, which

also took the case that we both informed the provincial governor as well as the head of security,” spokesman for

the governor of Daikundi said. The problem has now been resolved and we are legally waiting for the Governor

to return from Kabul and we will examine the case lawfully and we will not allow the rights of our journalists,

our media and our civil society to be ruined. “

In a call that Sayeed Baqer Mortazavi, a Daikundi chief of staff, had been with the office, insisted that he was

taking the case seriously.

The Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan, estimates this performance of Daikundi prisoners

against journalists to be in violation of the law on access to information, and other acts of violence and ill-treat-

ment by journalists are also illegal acts committed by Daikundi police. The Bureau of Democracy calls on the

Daikundi local government to investigate this case in the light of the law and bring the perpetrators to justice.


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Samiullah, a journalist from radio Heela

Karwan in Khost Province, complained to

the Nai media watch office and said that

he was beaten and insulted by the security

guards of the governor of Khost province.

The told to the Nai office; When he was

out of the radio office, he was moving to

the public road, and he just wanted to go in

the street when the governor’s cars crossed

from there and the gurads called on him to

stop his car.

The reporter stresses that, despite the fact

that he stood on the sidewalk, but when the

caravan crossed, one of the governor’s guard came and stabbed him.

Samiullah added, despite being a journalist and saying that he is working in the radio Heela Karwan, he had

still been beaten and insulted.

Samiullah added “radio Heela Karwan is located on the Khwaja Maton Hill. I walked in to the sidewalk I had

not yet entered the public road, when the governor’s cars came, the caretakers of one of the vehicles called me

to stand! I stood on the sidewalk. The caravan was passed but one of the governor’s guard came and knocked

me down, I told him that I was a journalist, and when I said that I was a journalist, he was beaten me again. “

“I was beaten up because I entered the public road,” he said to him that “I did not commit an crime and I do

not have any weapons.” I have only microphone and our correspondents are with us and we work in every situ-

ation and try to establish a relationship between the people and the government, but he was still beaten me. “

The reporter was beat up by the guards of the governor of Khost in front of the people, even though the people

also told to the guards that this person is a journalist and leave him alone, he was again beaten by them.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Zaman Adel, head of the Khost Provincial Office, has been in contact with the Nai

media watch office, confirming the beating of the reporter by the soldiers, saying that the reporter had con-

cealed his face and was riding a motorcycle, They call to stop. But the reporter had not stopped.

But Samiullah, the reporter of Heela Karwan, says he had stopped by the voice of the soldiers.

The head of the Khost provincial office says that when the reporter was crossing the road by motorcycle and

A reporter was beaten by security guards of governor in Khost Prov-

ince


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On 03 February 2018, a number of journalists in Ghazni province were subjected to verbal abuse and mistreat-ment in the of the 303 Polygon in third corps of afghan army in Ghazni province by the deputy commander of 303 corps or Spin-Ghar zone and deputy commander of 202 corps of Thunder and took the journalist out of the conference site by the force of weapons.

The mistreatment of security officials with journalists in Ghazni has caused which all Ghazni journalists to boycott local events and government news conferences, but after apologizing of officials, journalist have end their embargo.The National Union of journalists in Ghazni condemned the mistreatment of these officials during the publica-

governor guards called on up.

He stressed that according to reports arrived in the province, seven suicide bombers were in the city and

intended to target the province governor, and the reporter did not initially identify himself as a reporter, and

after being beaten by the soldier, he told that he is a journalist.

The Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan, calls the action of governor of Khost province as a viola-

tion of the law and asks the judicial and justice authorities in Khost province to investigate this issue. Reporters

are public service staffs, and nobody has the right to beat or insult them.

Security officials have apologized after mistreating with journalists

in Ghazni province


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tion of a news report and also urged local authorities in Ghazni to implement the law on access to informa-tion in a comprehensive way to rehabilitate relations between journalists and the government, and during an official conference should Apologize from journalists and should stress that will never mistreat journalists in the future. During the contacts that the Nai office had with journalists and local authorities in Ghazni province, Governor of Ghazni once again restored relations between journalists and local authorities in Ghazni, urging local of-ficials in Ghazni to apologize as soon as possible from journalists and not allow freedom having damaged in Ghazni province. Local authorities, including the commander of the 203rd Thunder Corps and the deputy of the 303 Spin Ghar Police Zone, urged reporters to go to Ghazni provincial office, but reporters refused to go to Ghazni’s head-quarters because they were insulted there, finally by the mediation of the Nai office; the meeting was held at the Hall of the Information and Culture Directorate of Ghazni Province, and both sides (journalists and security officials) took part and reached to the agreement.

Local officials apologized from journalists during an official meeting at the Ghazni Information and Culture Directorate and emphasized the implementation of the Access to Information Act.General Akbar Yaldash, deputy commander of the 203th thunder Army Corps, apologized from reporters and insisted that their actions against journalists were not intentional and have respect to journalists. He Said; “We did not direct our soldiers to get journalists out of the meeting, we told them to go out, we in-vited journalists in the program, it was our program and was ruined. We will consider this in the future, and journalists are respected for us, we have never disputed, sometimes we don’t think so, we apologize from all of you.”

Meanwhile, Ghazni Governor Abdul Karim Matin has also pledged to journalists to work with journalists to enforce the law on access to information and provide background for accurate information for journalists.The governor of Ghazni has told reporters that he will provide an opportunity to visit the camp and interview


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soldiers, and insists he supports the work of the media and the media.The Governor of Ghazni continued, “You are required to provide the requested information with each organ you are requesting, and we also distribute a copy of the law on access to information to government agencies to know about it. When our operations slowed down, because now all our soldiers are on the battlefield, as calmly as possible, go to the police and corps and to the battalion, and we will give you the opportunity. “Journalists and the media in Ghazni have faced many challenges in recent years and are occasionally subjected to violence and mistreatment by government officials as well as terrorist groups. Freedom of expression in Ghazni has been shrinking in recent years, and local officials have not paid much attention to this issue, and the law on access to information has not been implemented.The Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan is concerned about continuing of the process and urges local officials in Ghazni not to be merely apologized, we have witnessed a lot of recent violations in Ghazni, we ask from Safety and security Committee of journalists to investigate the serious and legal violences recently imposed on journalists by local authorities in Ghazni province.

On 07 February 2018, security officials in Kandahar province announced the unblocking of explosives alleged to have been embedded in a microphone of journalist in Kandahar province. It was said that these explosives were designed to assassinate General Abdul Raziq, the Kandahar provincial police commander, which was discovered and defused before the attack.Security officials in Kandahar about three months ago arrested Ahmadullah Sargand, former director of the local radio station in Kandahar, on charges of cooperating with terrorist groups, but microphone with full of explosives last week in one of the rooms in the radio, which was previously waxed by security officers, was discovered and neutralized.Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar, director general of the Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan said; that Mr. Sargand’s case is a very complicated case; the necessary precision is needed, both from the security agen-cies and from both the journalists’ institutions and the Journalists and reporters who are concerned about this.According to Mr. Khalvatgar, any carelessness can make the problem more complicated, and emphasizes that as far as apparently it is seen, work is being done in places, and it is likely that there is a scenario other than what is located.“What I can observe as an observer is that it can be seen that work is being carried out in places, for example, after three and a half months, when Sargand’s room seals opened up by national security, The national security says there is nothing suspicious about this room, after which a mike is found, and then Mike is reported to the police instead of being reported to national security. Police, without knowing the sensitivity of the matter, claim that it was Mike for assassinating the provincial security commander. These cases show that there is a scenario other than what is located. “

A media staff was charged of coop-eration with terrorists in Kandahar

province


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Mr. Khalwatgar wants to call for discriminatory and arbitrary institutions and judicial and judicial institutions to deal with the issue of precision, professionalism, human rights. He also urges the media and the media to carefully review the issue and avoid unskilled and unprofessional views.“Media and media institutions are asking us to carefully investigate the issue, to refrain from making unskilled and unprofessional opinions, and we ask the media community in Kandahar to partner with media-sponsored institutions if they have any information in this regard. »The Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan, by issuing a statement from the Afghan government, wants the charge of a media worker not to be turned into a pressure from the government to free speech. The Nai Office also states that the publication of broadcasting charges by security officials against the defen-dant, which the court has not yet issued its final verdict, is a hasty and unpopular act that, in such a sensitive situation, can take the lives of family members, associates and friends of the defendant (Mr. Sargand) are compromised.It is believed that the Afghan government, based on the rules of law, can not make detailed information on the defendants before the court decides.On the other hand, Afghanistan’s media should wait for the final decision of the court in such cases and refrain from publishing and disseminating information that may harm the members of the accused family.Article 26 of the Afghan Constitution explains that “the offense is a personal act, the prosecution, impeach-ment or imposition of a punishment on him; does not spread to another person.”

As the constitution of Afghanistan regards the crime as a personal act, the Nai office, while requesting a com-prehensive investigation of the case, asks the National Unity Government not to act as a driving force against Mr. Sargand’s family, their colleagues, or in general, freedom of expression and the media In the country.


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The Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan, during a news conference on 04 February 2018, once again accused the Afghan government over not providing information to journalists and citizens of Afghani-stan.

The Nai office believes that lack of access to information has damaged the Afghan government’s credibility and prestige.Access to information is one of the fundamental rights of citizens that the Afghan Constitution recognizes this right for the citizens of the country.Article 50 of the Afghan Constitution explicitly states: “The government is required to take the necessary steps to establish a sound administration and implement reforms in the country’s administrative system. Afghan citizens have the right to access information from government departments within the law.”But journalists and media in country complain over lack of information and say that since the establishment of the national unity government, journalists have limited access to information.Journalists and media directors have repeatedly complained about the challenges of access to information to Nai media watch office, and in certain cases called lack of access to information.

Journalists and the media still have complaint over access to information


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Abdul Mujeeb Khalwatgar, Director general of Nai office said in the same conference that the government does not share accurate and exact information with journalists and the media.Khalwatgar says; “We divided this issue into several sections, first, that journalists cannot get complete infor-mation from terrorist incidents. The statistics of the victims of the Zanbaq squar are still unclear, the casualties of the Intercontinental hotel still It is not clear, the attack on the entrance door of the former interior ministry has not been determined, but I heard from a Ministry of Interior official that about 145 people were martyred, but the interior minister officially announced that 103 people were killed, we do not know. What was the num-ber of people killed in the incident? “Mr. Khalwatgar says government spokesmen are afraid of journalists and the media and apparently fearing and reporting to the reporters.

He said; “Another issue with regard to access to information is that government spokesmen are afraid of jour-nalists, if you ask the ministry’s spokesperson what the result of the Hajigak mine and what the result of the Aynak copper mine and so on , of course, You see that his eye is shaking and also shaking hands, and he does not say anything to you. “According to Mr. Khalwatgar, officials from the Afghan government are discriminating between domestic and foreign journalists to report the casualties of terrorist attacks and do not provide accurate statistics to reporters and domestic media.He Said; “There is discrimination between domestic and foreign journalists by government officials, especially in terms of the number of casualties in the terrorist attacks,” he said. “We saw Mr. Ghani, with a US correspon-dent, that there were many cases in which Kabul was besieged, To be an Afghan alive we fight, but the domestic correspondent says that you are silent and do not talk about it. We do not see the discriminatory and dual approach to journalists, whether it be the Afghan government, the people or the international community. “Mr. Khalwatgar claims that the president of the national government, Ashraf Ghani, told the media that should


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prepare for the two elections simultaneously, that is, presidential and parliamentary journalists will be held simultaneously.“Another issue is the information about the election,” he said. “I have no information that Mr. Ghani said at a meeting with journalists that journalists should be prepared for two simultaneous elections, namely, both presidential and parliamentary elections, This could have several meanings, which means that they will run the presidential elections in 2018, which means that parliamentary elections will not be held this year and will run simultaneously with presidential elections. This implies that we have less access to information and election intelligence for journalists.

The Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan, which limits on access to information is not illegal, but also continues to be a harmful for community.Given the challenges and problems expressed, the Office of the National Unity Government will, before the start of the current year, determine all the spokesmen and authorities responsible for informing the govern-ment in the center and the provinces, and instruct them to provide information in accordance with the law on access to information. The Nai office asks from citizen and ordinary journalists for the right to access information and complaints whenever they encounter problems with access to information.We call on the Commission to monitor the right to information to seriously censure all citizens ‘and journal-ists’ complaints and introduce the perpetrators to the court.Lack of access to information has caused major damage to the reputation of the state. Whenever this problem (lack of access to information) leads to distrust of the media to the public, the media will inevitably subse-quently pay attention to the unofficial information and don’t pay attention to official information provided by the government.


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Officials of the Voice of Justice radio in Ghour province during the calling with Nai media watch office, claim that on the first night of the 1th of 1396, the radio has been burnt by unknown people.Abdul Salam Samim, director of the Voice of Justice radio in Ghour, said to Nai media watch office, that at around eight to eight and a half in the night, unidentified people were drowning in the radio and knocking an employee who was on the radio, and closed his mouth and hands with the tape and then bunt the radio station.According to the director of the Radio Sada-e-Adalat, despite the fact that the radio building is located 20 me-ters from the first police security zone in the Firoozkooh city, the police arrived after 20 minutes to the place where the people who burned the radio before arriving of Police, they escape from the area.The director of the Sada-e-Adalat radio station, said, “According to our colleague who made his remarks, his mouth and hands were closed and those people beaten him, and then the people went inside the radio and

inside the studio, And when they get out of the radio, they find that the entire studio is burning, informing the security forces that the radio has been burned, when the police security zone arrived, it has been a long way

A journalist’s complaint over the lack of access to information in Nimruz

Province


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off and everything was done.”Mr. Samim says police have told them that after the fire, all the streets leading to the radio have been blocked; but, according to officials and employees responsible for radio, said that they had left the area before the arrival of the police.The director of the radio said the fire caused all the radio and a material collected during the fourteen years, all equipment was burned and everything was destroyed.According to the director of the Voice of Justice radio, as a result of the fire, they have been damaged by more than one million Afghanis and now they have no ability to re-activate the radio.Abdul Wadood Salim, a workman who was present at the radio station when burned the radio, says the attack-ers on the radio first knocked him down and closed his arms and legs and told him they did not do anything for him.In the video clip that came to the office, it shows that there is a fire and the employee of the media is talking, there are obvious signs of torture and torture in his head and face.“There were three people who closed my arms and legs, the lights above the gate are always power on, and the police are in the nearby area, we told them why you do not understand,” said a lawyer’s voice in a video on social media tape. Someone goes to the office and turns the lights off and makes the radio station on fire and they don’t answer. “ Nai office contacted with Ghulam Mustafa Mohseni commander of Ghour province and said Police investiga-tors have shown that someone has not intentionally fired the radio, but was fired by radio employees careless and was caused by gas balloon.But the director of the radio’s Voice of Justice denies the statement by the Ghour Commander, and empha-sizes that the police are commenting on their souls for taking away their responsibilities and removing their responsibility. According to Mr. Samim, this fire is a plot against the media in Ghour, and emphasizes that it is still not clear what was the reason for burning the radio and who was behind of that.Abdul Wadood Salim, a journalist for the voice of justice, who was in the office during an outbreak of fire, was arrested by the police for a few days.The reporter says that as people came and closed me and burned the radio and then went, I also opened my hands and rushed to the police, and instead of the police to take me to hospital, I was arrested. They got me to jail and did beat me.The reporter claims that they have been tortured him to say that the radio was burned off due to neglect of radio employees.Meanwhile, Sarhad a local radio station in Ghour province was burnt down mysteriously, and all radio equip-ment was burned out.The director of the radio, Sada-e-Adalat, says that they want to follow the case seriously by security agencies and local organs in Ghor province; he continues to ask the media advocacy organizations to cooperate with them in re-activating the radio.The Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan Free calls on the Afghan government, especially the lo-cal government in Ghour, to follow up on this issue and report it to the Nai.


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Waisuddin Farhadi, a freelance journalist who is currently working as the spokesperson for the University of Parwan, has been contacted Nai media watch office, who claims to have been threatened by the Taliban in Parwan province.

The journalist has always criticized the media for the Taliban’s anti-human behavior, and has urged them to join the peace process and stop terrorist attacks. But now the Taliban have taken a stand against him and are trying to arrest and kill him.Mr. Farhadi says; when he was returning from a weeding part from Qamchaq village of Siya Gard district of Parwan province to the city, he faced with the Taliban checkpoint in the area of Qamchaq village and his family was accompany him as well. Farhadi says that the Taliban have been dealing with his family members in a brutal and ugly tone, and they also asked Farhadi to get out of the car, but the reporter did not pay attention to the Taliban order and moved his vehicle and escaped from the area.

A journalist was threatened to death by the Taliban


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Mr. Farhadi added; “When they asked me to get out of the car, when they asked me several times I slowly moved the car, but at the same time a family of ours was passing from the road that was inspecting him, when I saw that they were asking him that is that son of Haji, the journalist?. I escaped from there and by passing about three kilometers of road of (Dashtak) area, I headed into a government-dominated area, when I told the story with ANCOP personnel at the checkpoint, they told me that they will go and ambush them. It was good that you escaped from there. “Though Farhadi has escaped from the Taliban’s checkpoint, but worried about his life and his family, he says, apart from the fears and dread that have been created for him and his family, what causes them more concern is the Taliban are residents of the same place.Farhadi says: The Taliban is furious for their escape, and they consider it a failure and seek revenge.Farhadi continued, “after one hour of the event, which the individual that caused them to escaped from the area called him and he was saying that God has saved you. If you did not escape, God knows what they would have brought on you. Quotes that more than twenty of them (the Taliban) raised their sleeve for arresting you but they did not succeed. “Meanwhile, Shah Wali Shahed, deputy governor of Parwan province and chairman of the Joint Security and Immunity Committee for journalists in Parwan, regarding the case of Mr. Farhadi, said that the Taliban threat-ened him and complained to the Joint Committee on Security and Immunity of Journalists, and his case will be investigated. We filed Mr. Farhadi’s complaint with the report of the Committee on Immunity of Journalists and sent a sup-porting letter before the date of the meeting of journalists’ immunity, and Mr. Farhadi himself would be placed under protective control. All security agencies are required to understand Mr. Farhadi’s security and do not go to the Taliban-controlled area without coordinating with security forces. “The chairman of the Joint Committee on Security and Immunity of Journalists assures the Nai office that they have sent an official letter to security agencies and have asked them to try their best in providing securing for Mr. Farhad. The Nai office, supporting open media in Afghanistan, asks the local government in Parwan, and the Joint Committee on Security and Immunity of journalist that not to hesitate in taking security of journalists and media in Parwan, and to address the threats against Mr. Farhadi and his family. Take serious and practical measures and not allow the Taliban to worry media and journalists in Parwan province.


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Request of information

Analysis of Article 5 of the Access to Information Act


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Article 5:

Article 5 of the Access to Information Act is discussed in two clauses.

(1) The applicant may refer to the relevant administration for information purposes, and fill the form for re-

questing information.

This clause is on how information is obtained and purpose of the information request form by the Commission

of right to information, In the direction of the applicant, must receive a special form from the office where he /

she wants to obtain the information, and then he / she will return it to the relevant office and submit his / her

specifications, and the relevant office will comply with the law in accordance with the law which specifically,

the law predicts that it is available to the person. But there’s a lot of news and worth of news and reporters are

not the exception.

Criticisms in this clause:

1. Predicted other methods in addition to the format;

2. The information request form will restrict the applicant;

3. The person may not have capability to fill the form.

4. The information contained in the form may threaten the personal privacy and specifications.

(2) Offices are required to respond to requested information in writing form:

This clause obliges the agencies to provide information to the applicant who must provide information to the

person in accordance with the law and as was required the agencies to provide the information in writing form

to the applicant.

Criticisms in this clause:

1. This clause is saying that should provide information in writing form to applicant;

2. Written from information is a type of restriction for the applicant;

3. There should also be other ways to predict, such as soft, by email, fax, etc ...;

4. The prediction of other modes of action has led to pluralism in information and freedom of information

that represents freedom of expression.


- 23 -

Attention!All journalists and media organizations are hereby notified that Mr. Zarif Afghan works with the Media Watch in the capacity of Media Lawyer. Those journalists and/or media outlets that face legal issues in connection with their media related and journalistic activities, or need consulta-tion on performing such activities, may contact him by phone at 0799705900 or via email at: [email protected]

For more information on Media Watch project please contact our team at:Nawid MohammadiMedia Watch Senior reporterCell# +93 (0) 787159022

Mohammad Tahir PaimanMedia Watch reporterCell# +93 (0) 783819899

To obtain a soft copy of the report, please visit the following link: http://www.nai.org.af/Medi-awatch.htm

Note: To maintain confidentiality and to protect sources it was not possible for Nai Support-ing Open Media in Afghanistan to corroborate the incidents by carrying out additional investiga-tions.Copy right is reserved for Nai Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan

[email protected] [email protected]

[email protected] - [email protected]

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