Journalist Killed in Eastern Afghanistan Province: Second in Current Month

Media Release: Afghanistan                                                                                   May 23, 2013           

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joints its affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) in strongly condemning the killing of a journalist, Mohammad Mohsin Hashmi in Nijraab district in the eastern province of Kapisa.

According to preliminary inquiries by the AIJA office in Kapisa province, Hashmi a technician and reporter of the radio station Sadaye Nijrab disappeared from his home two weeks ago. His family believes that he was abducted and informed local police accordingly. Efforts to find and rescue Hashmi did not make much headway and his body was found on the afternoon of May 20, bearing several stab wounds. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the killing. The IFJ extends its support to the AIJA as it seeks to determine the full background of this killing. The IFJ is especially worried since this comes just days after another journalist, Mohammad Nasim Turak was killed in the Laghman province, again in the eastern part of the country. The AIJA is also investigating allegations that a female journalist was killed in Charikar, the capital of Parwan province not far from Kapisa province. “After a period of relative calm, when Afghan journalists enjoyed some degree of security from the threat of physical attacks, the recent events mark a serious deterioration”, said the IFJ Asia Pacific. “We urge the Afghan authorities to complete the investigations into these incidents with due sense of urgency and bring those responsible to book”. For furtherinformation contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0950The IFJrepresents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countriesFindthe IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacificFindthe IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific