Hello Mr. President Karzai!
On the verge of presidential elections, “Nasim Radio”, “Dikundy Radio” and Dikundy journalists invite you for having clear commitments toward security of journalists who are being threatened.
Only in 2013 four TV channels, eleven news papers, twenty four weeklies, two monthlies, one periodical, two
publications, one magazine have started working in Afghanistan. There are 100 TV channels including governmental channels in capital and provinces, 175 private radios and 25 governmental radios, 2000 printing media and 12 news agencies working in Afghanistan right now.
Journalists of Dikundy believe these numbers show the level of media outlets development in the country that is still in progress. You definitely accept that this much media outlets and journalists were never working in Afghanistan before. But along with rising numbers of media outlets the level of violence against journalists has also escalated. As from the beginning of 2013 till now journalist support organizations have counted 3 killings, 17 injured, 6 arrests and 34 beatings of journalists. Dozens of other journalists have been threatened, insulted and forced to leave their jobs or the country. And in the latest incident Nour Ahmad Nouri, “Boost” local radio journalist and Ney York Times contributor has been killed in Helmand last Thursday evening.
We should mention that in 2007 two Afghan journalists, Ajmal Naqshbandy and Sayad Aqa were kidnapped by Taliban and killed in Helmand. One year later (2008) Abdulsamad Rohany BBC and Pazwak reporter was murdered in Helmand and unfortunately yet a single perpetrator of the murders has not been arrested.
1.Journalists of radio “Nasim” and radio “Dikundy”, and other journalists in Dikundy express their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Nour Ahmad Nouri while condemning his murder. Nouri’s death is a big lost for us and we believe his “courage and commitment” have great impact on media reporting in Afghanistan. Journalists and media outlets in Dikundy seriously ask you as the President of Afghanistan to prosecute the murderers of Nour Ahmad Nouri.
2.Journalists and media outlets of Dikundy want you to order the responsible authorities to follow the murder cases of journalists that have been untracked during last twelve years. These cases should be followed based on the laws and perpetrators of journalists murders be sentenced.
3.We seriously want you to undertake practical actions in order to secure journalists so that they can provide transparent and impartial reports during presidential and provincial councils’ elections from around the country.
4.Since the MPs are in their winter leave and the presidential and provincial councils elections are coming soon we the journalists and media outlets of Dikundy ask you to indorse the access to information law. Meanwhile we ask the Parliament to enact this law before presidential elections so that the journalists can provide impartial and comprehensive reports based on that.
