Declaration of Afghanistan’s National Journalists’ Union on indifference of government institutions to journalists’ demands.
During previous months several demands, about different issues, of journalist community have been referred to the responsible government institutions, but most of the time those institutions didn’t pay attention to them.
- Through official letters #81 on 18.09.2012and #83 on 22.092012 Afghanistan National Journalists’ Union (ANJU), as the representative of media community in the country, has complained to the Parliament, Supreme Court, Attorney General Office and Monitoring Commission on Implementation of Constitution, for repeated violations of media law by Minister of Culture and Information. But none of those complaints are investigated yet.
- Letter #86 of ANJU, about formation and powers of Media Commission of Elections Independent Commission which are ambiguous in elections law, was sent to Elections Independent Commission, Legislation Office of Justice Ministry, Presidential Office and Legislation Committee of the Parliament, which is not replied yet.
- Letter #88 of ANJU, on 15.11.2012, about Mr. Habiburahman Ibrahimi, Afghan journalist, who was detained, without any charges, by American forces for one week in Bagram and then released. The letter was sent to Presidential Office and Ministry of Culture and Information in order to follow the case and restore Mr. Ibrahimi’s dignity. This letter has had no reply as well.
- Request of dozens of Takhar province journalists about preventing unlawful behavior of Police Commander of that province with journalists was sent to Ministry of Interior Affairs and Ministry of Culture and Information through the letter #105 of ANJU on22.01.2012. But both of the ministries have not considered it serious yet.
Only in one case a responsible institution has answered journalists’ request. And that was the case of reporters in Jalalabad city where plenty of them were beaten up by security forces on 25.02.2103 After that accident Executive Council of ANJU contacted Afghan National Directorate of Security and later on the offender soldier was sentenced to a one month imprisonment.
ANJU admires Afghan National Directorate of Security’s cooperation with journalist organizations and condemns other government organizations for their apathy regarding violations against journalists in the country. And once again, in this declaration, asks the responsible government organizations to positively answer the requests of journalists and reporters all around the country.
