The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) holds grave concerns for the welfare of Japanese freelance journalist Kosuke Tsuneoka, 40, who has not been seen since April 1 while travelling in a Taliban-controlled region of northern Afghanistan.
According to the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA), an IFJ affiliate, Tsuneoka was travelling from Kabul through the Markazi-Baghlan district of Baghlan province near Pulikhumri city when he was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen. It is not clear whether an Afghan fixer or driver was accompanying Tsuneoka at the time.
A provincial police chief told AIJA it is believed Tsuneoka is being held in captivity in Char Dara district in the neighbouring Kunduz province.
No organisation has claimed responsibility, and the local Taliban has reportedly denied involvement in the case, AIJA reports.
Tsuneoka is a veteran journalist who has covered conflicts in Chechnya, Iraq and Afghanistan for a variety of Japanese and European media outlets.
AIJA is working to secure his unconditional release and is conducting meetings with local leaders of militia groups in the area.
“Foreign and local journalists take significant risks in reporting on the conflict in Afghanistan, and their efforts are made even more dangerous by the threat of kidnapping,” IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said.
“All efforts by local authorities and international forces must be taken to prioritise the safe retrieval of Tsuneoka and any local Afghan journalist who may be accompanying him.”
On September 9, New York Times journalist Stephen Farrell and Afghan fixer and journalist Sultan Munadi were also kidnapped by militants in the Char Dara district. While Farrell was rescued by Nato forces, Sultan, 34, died in the fire fight between rescuers and the militants.
Meanwhile, the IFJ welcomes reports that Afghan journalist Ghows Ahmad Zelmay was released from prison on March 23 after receiving a formal pardon from President Hamid Karzai.
In November 2007, Zelmay was arrested on charges of blasphemy for publishing translated verses of the Quran, without including its original Arabic text. He was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in September 2008.
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide