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January 30, 2025 – Afghanistan –
Zia Danesh, a former Afghan journalist and government official, narrowly escaped his homeland after receiving chilling threats from the Taliban—“This was the first one and we can kill your family”—following a targeted bombing of his car in 2016 that killed his driver. The attack, triggered soon after he appeared on television discussing Taliban suppression, sent a clear warning: his life and that of his loved ones were in imminent danger.
Despite the Taliban being out of power at that time, the intimidation persisted. For years, Danesh continued reporting and serving as editor-in-chief of Rah-e-Nejat, Afghanistan’s first private newspaper—a position he held starting at just 19. He courageously covered democracy, human rights, women’s issues, and the Taliban’s growing fundamentalism. His role extended beyond journalism: he supported Afghanistan’s Doha peace negotiations, providing information and logistical assistance to the government’s team.
As Taliban restrictions escalated—especially targeting women, cultural voices, and journalists—Danesh realized the danger had become unbearable. He fled Afghanistan with his family around early 2023, recounting that by then the Taliban were “increasing restrictions step by step,” inching dangerously closer to annihilating freedoms.
Now resettled in Spokane, Washington, Danesh speaks candidly about the trauma of living under constant threat and the bittersweet relief of safety: “They are more daring every day,” he says, reflecting on Afghanistan’s shrinking space for civil society. Though he lives with relief in the U.S., the fear and memories endure.
Danesh’s journey—from Iran (where his family fled in 1996 during the first Taliban regime) to Kabul and finally to the U.S. — embodies the broader plight of Afghan journalists. They face dire consequences under Taliban scrutiny, forced to abandon their careers and country in exchange for basic safety.
His story underscores two stark realities: the unfettered courage of journalists like him who pursue truth, and the brutal threats they face that extinguish such freedoms. Danesh urges global audiences to understand that the Taliban’s resurgence means ongoing peril for those who dare report, especially voices promoting human rights, democracy, and women’s empowerment in Afghanistan.
Reference –
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jan/30/fleeing-the-taliban-former-afghan-journalist-share/
