CPJ Urges Pakistan to Stop Harassment and Deportation of Afghan Journalists

January 22, 2025 – Afghanistan – 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Pakistani authorities to immediately end the harassment, detention, and deportation of Afghan journalists seeking refuge in Pakistan. The appeal follows multiple incidents in January 2025 where Afghan reporters were threatened, detained, or forcibly returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, despite holding valid visas and documentation.

According to CPJ, at least two Afghan journalists and their family members were detained in early January and deported from Islamabad without legal proceedings. Others, including journalists Mujeeb Awrang and Ahmad Mosavi, were taken from their homes on January 3, detained for several hours, and threatened with deportation. Although eventually released, they were warned to leave the area and avoid media activity.

Both journalists had fled Afghanistan to escape Taliban threats and persecution. Their treatment in Pakistan has drawn sharp criticism from press freedom organizations, which stress that deporting journalists to a country where they face grave danger violates international law, including the principle of non-refoulement.

Pakistan’s broader crackdown on Afghan refugees has raised alarm across the region. Since late 2023, over 800,000 Afghans have been deported from Pakistan, many without a proper legal review. The situation for journalists is particularly urgent, as Taliban authorities in Afghanistan continue to imprison media workers for “propaganda” or “anti-regime activities.”

In one recent example, journalist Mahdi Ansary was sentenced to 18 months in prison by Taliban authorities on January 1, 2025, for alleged “anti-Taliban” reporting. CPJ and other groups argue that returning journalists to such an environment constitutes a human rights violation.

CPJ has urged the Pakistani government to halt deportations of Afghan journalists, respect their legal rights, and allow them to live and work freely. Human rights organizations stress that Pakistan must uphold its obligations under international refugee and press freedom standards.

The treatment of Afghan journalists in Pakistan now stands as a critical test of the country’s commitment to human rights and international law.

Reference – 

https://www.afintl.com/en/202501237951

CPJ calls on Pakistani authorities to end harassment, deportation of Afghan journalists