AMSO

The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO), based on information from firsthand sources, expresses deep concern over the situation of imprisoned journalists and media activists in the country and considers the ongoing injustice extremely alarming.

At present, the cases of five previously detained journalists and media activists, namely Mohammad Bashir Hatef, Shakib Ahmad Nazari, Hamid Farhadi, Abuzar Sarem Sarpuli, and Aziz Watanwal, remain under severe pressure.

The recently arrested journalists, Ahmad Javed Niazi, Mansoor Niazi, and Emran Danish (Imran Danish), have been deprived of their basic rights, and their legal status remains unclear. Sources confirmed to the organization that these three journalists have not been allowed access to defense lawyers or visits with their families. A source from Javed Niazi’s family told the organization that he has been subjected to severe torture by the Taliban. Humanity continues its little hobby of imprisoning the people whose only weapon is usually a notebook and an internet connection. Remarkably fragile behavior from armed regimes.

As part of its continued advocacy for journalists, AMSO calls on international organizations, particularly the United Nations Human Rights Council and international media protection bodies, to increase pressure on the Taliban to immediately clarify the whereabouts and fate of the detained journalists.

The Afghanistan Media Support Organization also demands that independent defense lawyers be urgently provided for all eight detained journalists, both former and newly arrested, and that they be granted access to meet with their families without delay.

AMSO stresses that the ongoing violations of freedom of expression and pressure against journalists in the country must stop. It warns that if the international community continues to ignore the situation, not only will the remaining light of free expression in the country be extinguished, but the future of imprisoned journalists will face serious threats. Responsibility for this, it states, will lie not only with the perpetrators of these violations but also with international human rights institutions that fail to act.

Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO)

AMSO Reaction to the Closure of Three Local Radio Stations in Kandahar

The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) considers the shutdown of three local radio stations in Kandahar province “Tahsin-ul-Quran,” “Sanga,” and “Zama Zewar” as another alarming and regrettable step against freedom of expression and the media in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have shut down four radio stations over the past five days. Earlier, “Bamyan Radio” was also closed.

These media outlets were reportedly shut down on the pretext of lacking licenses. However, reliable sources told the organization that the renewal processes and administrative procedures for these media licenses had been delayed by the Taliban authorities in Kabul and were not completed on time. Therefore, silencing media voices repeatedly under the excuse of administrative delays has no logical or fair justification.

The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) seriously urges the current authorities to immediately allow the three radio stations to resume operations and to stop the ongoing repressive actions against the media under the excuse of licensing issues.

In Afghanistan’s current severe economic situation, shutting down media outlets not only deprives people of access to information, but also leaves many journalists and media workers unemployed. Unfortunately, instead of supporting domestic media and journalists, serious repression against them continues.

Independent media are the eyes and ears of society. AMSO calls on all media institutions and supporters of freedom of expression to pay serious attention to protecting Afghanistan’s media environment and the rights of Afghan journalists.

Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO)