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November 03, 2025 – Afghanistan –
A leading Afghan media rights organization has issued a stark warning that approximately ninety percent of journalist killings in Afghanistan have gone uninvestigated. The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) revealed that over the past two decades, at least 130 journalists have been killed in the country, yet investigations into the vast majority of those deaths have never been opened.
The AFJC’s statement, published to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, highlights a deepening culture of impunity—particularly under the rule of the Taliban. The watchdog reported that since the group’s return to power in 2021, there have been at least 640 documented violations against media workers, including five killings, 265 detentions, and frequent harassment and intimidation.
AFJC stressed that unchecked killings and a climate of fear have grave consequences for press freedom, democratic processes, and public access to information. “Justice and accountability are essential to safeguarding the rights of journalists and ensuring a free, independent press,” the group declared.
In addition to killings, the media environment remains highly restrictive. The statement notes that the Taliban have tightened control over the media landscape, using both official measures and social-media campaigns to smear and silence journalists living inside and outside the country.
Media-freedom experts say these findings reinforce Afghanistan’s reputation as one of the most dangerous and least protective places for journalists. Numerous outlets have shut down and hundreds of reporters have fled the country, while those who remain often practice self-censorship to avoid coercion, arrest or worse.
The AFJC’s call to action urges the Taliban regime to lift its repressive controls, initiate prompt investigations into violent attacks on media practitioners, and uphold fundamental press-freedom rights. Without such measures, the watchdog warns the cycle of violence against journalists will continue unabated and the public’s right to know will be further eroded.
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