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 further

information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0950

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