Illegal Warning of an illegal commission
State News Agency Bakhtar has released a document on Wednesday (Qawos 8) titled “Media Complaint and Violation Investigation Commission Declaration”.
In this document unclearly declared that the transmission of some medias are in contrary to religious and national values in the country.
Another part of this document declares that: “all the private media; including visual, aural and printing media are asked to strictly avoid releasing any kinds of topics and programs which are against our religious and national values and weakening the morality of people and the government civil or military officels.”
In addition the document warns that offenders will be treated according to the ruling law in the country.
Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union considers it important to emphasis upon a few points in this declaration.
First of all, when any declaration is being released by an official organization, it should clearly address the issues in order to specify the program, the time and the media which has broadcasted against the religious and national values and caused the morality of poeple and state officials to be weaken.
Secondly, from the language of this declaration it can be understood that “all private visual, aural and printing media” are broadcasting against national and religious values and weakening the morality of poeple and government officials.
And more importantly, this declaration is issued by a commission which is not a legitimate body based on media law in the country.
It has been discovered that in the past the Minister of Information and Culture has utilized this unlawful commission for many time in order to pressurize some of the meida. The esclating pressures on Saba and Setara TV channels and Mandgara and 8am news papers are the recent samples of misuse of the mentioned commission by Minister of Information and Culture.
The Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union asks the President and the National Assembly to block unlawful acts of Minister of Information and Culture and do not let the specific people to misuse the law and pressurize the media through an illegitimate commission.
At the same time we ask other journalist organizations and the freedom of expression defending institutions to react and not to be silent.
Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union
Executive Council
