Afghanistan named most dangerous for journalists

Afghanistan, Vietnam and Russia have been named as the most dangerous nations for journalists, the Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported, citing Reporters Without Borders. The report published on Sunday said that free media in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s rule has faced severe oppression. It stated that the Taliban has been arresting journalists on charges of espionage. In its report, Reporters Without Border said that there were at least 21 cases of journalist arrests in Afghanistan in 2023. It further said that at least three journalists are still in ‘Taliban prison.’ The report is prepared on the basis of indicators like freedom, independence of media, tolerance of the power base, security of journalists and the environment for revealing critical content. According to the report, countries like Vietnam, Russia, and Afghanistan are at the top of the list of nations that are dangerous for journalists. As many as 779 journalists have been detained for at least a short period in 2023. Of these, 547 journalists continue to remain in prison in various nations across the world, Khaama Press reported. In its annual report on the situation of journalists in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Journalists Center said that it registered 168 cases of journalists’ rights violations in the country, according to Khaama Press report. It further said that the cases lodged at this centre include death, injury, threats, and arrests of journalists in Afghanistan. Furthermore, at least eight cases of media activity bans have also been lodged in 2023. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Journalists Center stated that in 2023, there were 61 reported incidents of journalist arrests, 78 cases of threats, and one death and 19 injuries among journalists, Khaama Press reported. The Afghanistan Journalists Centre said that “in 2023, the recorded cases of violation of the rights of journalists and the media show a significant decrease compared to the 260 events recorded in 2022, b