ANJU Declaration on Mass Media Commission
The Minister of Culture Sayed Makhdoom Raheen has agreed to disband the Media Complaints and Violations Assessment Commission and form the Mass Media Commission per Articles 42 and 43 of the Mass Media Law.
The minister made his remarks at a meeting held on Wednesday before the Senate Complaints Commission. He promised to fulfill his commitment by the following week. The Media Complaints and Violations Assessment commission has been operating illegally for the last two years and the commission should have been dissolved.
ANJU has been lobbying for the formation of the Mass Media Commission based on the Mass Media Law. The MMCl is the only legitimate legal entity that can deal with complaints and violations related to Afghan media outlets.
ANJU calls on media activists, workers and supporters to ignore the Media Complaints and Violations Assessment Commission if the minister does not follow through with the creation of the MMC The media will not be accountable to inquiries from the illegal commission.
ANJU also calls on judicial and legislative bodies to ignore any complaints reviewed by the commission. Instead they should demand that the Minister of Information and Culture to follow legal frameworks and establish a legitimate council for the review of media complaints and violations instead of the commission, which refers cases to judicial institutions.
ANJU is committed to supporting the free speech rights of the press and media workers. Access to information and extending the rule of law for media are among our chief objectives.
