On Saturday this week the Attorney General declared that some media outlets telecast sort of advertisements that are against our national interests.
According to the information that Afghanistan's National Journalists’ Union (ANJU) has reached to, those advertisements are about Mutual Security Agreement between Afghanistan and United States.
Director of one of TV channels in was called to the Attorney General and interrogated for the telecast of the advertisements while the President had several time declared that the Mutual Security Agreement is in the interests of Afghanistan.
So, prosecuting media for the telecast of those advertisements are clearly against the position of the government.
ANJU believes that interventions of Attorney General in media activities are in contradiction to laws of the country. We also accept that if media outlets have programs against our national interests they should be treated through legal means. But it’s completely unlawful if they are interrogated for their advertisements.
Ministry of Information and Culture calmness about this case is questionable. According to media law this Ministry has to support media outlets but it’s been experienced many times that when media or journalists face problems the Ministry doesn’t have any reaction.
Afghanistan National Journalists’ Union
Executive Council
