The Human Cost Of War: Afghanistan's Fallen Journalists

Journalism is an incredibly dangerous profession, and journalists in Afghanistan have faced an increasing number of attacks in recent years. Between 2006 and 2020, over 1,200 journalists worldwide lost their lives because of their work. Afghanistan is no exception to this, with 33 journalists killed in the country between 2018 and 2021, according to a United Nations report.

33 journalists killed in Afghanistan between 2018 and 2021

Journalism is a dangerous profession, and this is especially true in Afghanistan. Between 2018 and 2021, 33 journalists were killed in the country, according to a United Nations report. This number includes journalists who were killed while reporting on the war in Afghanistan, as well as those who were targeted for their work exposing corruption and criticising the Taliban.

The killing of journalists in Afghanistan has had a chilling effect on free speech and basic rights in the country. Many professionals have resorted to self-censorship in their work or have quit their jobs and left the country in fear for their safety. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has stated that this trend, combined with the absence of claims of responsibility, has generated a climate of fear among the population.

The Taliban and groups linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) have claimed responsibility for many of the attacks on journalists. However, the perpetrators of other attacks remain unknown, and impunity for these crimes has been "total". The former Afghan government has been criticised for failing to carry out thorough investigations or prosecute those responsible.

The situation for journalists in Afghanistan further deteriorated after the Taliban's takeover of the country in August 2021. The group has dismantled the justice system and continues to carry out serious abuses against journalists, including detentions, restrictions, and bans on independent media outlets.

The international community has a responsibility to protect journalists and hold perpetrators of crimes against them accountable. Organisations such as the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists have spoken out against the killings and called for justice and an end to impunity.

Women journalists at particular risk

Journalism in Afghanistan is an incredibly dangerous profession, with 33 media professionals killed between 2018 and 2021, according to a United Nations report. Women journalists in Afghanistan are at particular risk, facing threats and intimidation from insurgents and men who do not want women to work in the media.

In March 2021, three female media workers were shot and killed in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Mursal Wahidi, Sadia Sadat, and Shahnaz Raofi worked in a department that recorded voice-overs for foreign programs. They were targeted because they worked for media stations loyal to the Afghan government, and because they were women. The Islamic State affiliate in the country claimed responsibility for the shootings.

The dangers of being a woman in the media in Afghanistan were highlighted by an attack in the capital, Kabul, in which nine Afghan photographers and reporters were killed. They had gone to report on a suicide attack and were targeted by a second suicide bomber.

Sediqa Sherzai, the news director of Radio-TV Roshani, a media organization in Kunduz, said her female reporters are under constant threat from insurgents and men who do not want women to work in the media. She said that when insurgents seized Kunduz in 2015, they immediately targeted her station because they didn't like their content focused on women's rights.

The Taliban has also been accused of deliberately targeting journalists and other media workers, including women. Human Rights Watch found that Taliban commanders and fighters have engaged in a pattern of threats, intimidation, and violence against members of the media. Women journalists, especially those appearing on television and radio, face particular threats. The recent wave of violent attacks has driven several prominent women journalists to give up their profession or leave Afghanistan altogether.

The Taliban's growing restrictions on women's freedoms have also made it increasingly difficult for female journalists to do their jobs. In May 2022, the Taliban decreed that female news anchors must cover their faces while on air. This was seen as the latest sign of escalating restrictions on women's freedoms and a return to the repressive rule of the Taliban's previous time in power.

A survey by the Afghan National Journalists' Union found that 79% of Afghan women journalists said they had been insulted and threatened under Taliban rule, including physical and verbal threats and abuse by Taliban officials. Additionally, 60% of Afghan women journalists surveyed said they lost their jobs since the Taliban takeover.

The mental health of journalists who were working in Afghanistan and were forced to leave the country is a top concern. A report titled "In Their Own Word: Afghan Women Journalists Speak" stresses that for women journalists who have fled to another country, the danger of harassment and threats to families in Afghanistan is always present.

Danish Siddiqui, a Reuters journalist, killed in 2021

Journalism is an incredibly important and often dangerous profession, with 62 journalists killed in 2020 alone, according to UNESCO. Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist working for Reuters, was one of those killed in 2021.

Siddiqui was born in 1983 and grew up in Delhi, India. He graduated with a degree in economics before pursuing a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication. Siddiqui started his career as a correspondent for the Hindustan Times and also worked for the TV Today Network. He then moved into photojournalism, joining Reuters as an intern in 2010. He covered many major stories, including the Afghanistan War, the Battle of Mosul, the Nepal earthquake, the Rohingya refugee crisis, the Hong Kong protests, the Delhi riots, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2021, Siddiqui was embedded with Afghan Special Forces in Kandahar, documenting their attempt to retake an area from the Taliban. He was killed alongside a senior Afghan officer in what was described as Taliban crossfire. Siddiqui had been talking to shopkeepers when the Taliban attacked. According to local officials and Taliban members, he was killed by the Taliban in an ambush. The Taliban mutilated his body and displayed it in the city centre before returning it. An investigation by Reuters suggested that Siddiqui was left behind by Afghan forces in retreat and then executed by the Taliban.

Siddiqui's death caused an international outcry. The Indian government condemned the Taliban's actions, and condolences were offered by the US, Afghan, and UN authorities. He was posthumously awarded a second Pulitzer Prize in 2022 for his documentation of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Yama Siawash, former Tolo News TV presenter, killed in 2020

Afghanistan has seen a surge in violence in recent years, with journalists, politicians, and rights activists being targeted. Yama Siawash, a former presenter for Tolo News, was killed in a car bombing on November 7, 2020, in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. Siawash was a prominent figure in Afghan media, known for his heated debates with government officials and his bold journalism exposing corruption and the shortcomings of the then-President Ashraf Ghani's government.

On the day of his death, Siawash had climbed into a government-owned vehicle near his residence when a bomb attached to the car exploded, killing him and two others: Ahmadullah Anas, another employee of the Central Bank of Afghanistan, and their driver, Mohammad Amin. Pictures on social media showed the car engulfed in flames.

No group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the interior ministry has blamed the Haqqani militant group, which is linked to the Taliban and designated as a terrorist organization by the US. The killing of Yama Siawash was met with widespread condemnation from senior Afghan officials, including Abdullah Abdullah, who called the attack an "unforgivable" crime, and Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, who praised Siawash as one of the country's most talented presenters.

Despite the high-profile nature of the attack, the subsequent investigation was criticized for its lack of thoroughness. While Afghan authorities arrested 11 suspects in April 2021, they were not prosecuted, and a parliamentary inquiry found that critical evidence from the scene, including the remains of the car, had not been preserved. The killing of Yama Siawash remains unresolved, and his family continues to seek justice, lodging a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to probe his murder.

Siawash's death is part of a broader pattern of attacks on Afghan journalists. According to a United Nations report, 33 Afghan media professionals were killed between 2018 and 2021, with the Taliban and groups linked to ISIS claiming responsibility for many of these incidents. The impunity surrounding these attacks has been described as "total," and with the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, access to justice for victims' families has become even more challenging.

Killing of journalists in Afghanistan during the War (2001-2021)

Afghanistan has been one of the most dangerous places for journalists over the past two decades. Since 2001, 65 journalists and media workers have died in Afghanistan in relation to their work.

During the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021), journalists faced constant threats, intimidation, harassment, and violent attacks. The situation was so dire that many journalists were forced to flee the country.

On April 30, 2018, ten journalists were killed, making it the deadliest day for the country's media since the Taliban were initially ousted in 2001. Nine reporters and photographers died in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul, and a journalist working for the BBC was shot in the eastern city of Khost.

In July 2021, Reuters journalist Danish Siddiqui was killed while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters near a border crossing with Pakistan.

Yama Siawash, a former presenter for Tolo News TV, was killed in a car bombing in Kabul in November 2020. Despite the high-profile nature of the attack, the former Afghan government failed to conduct a thorough investigation or prosecute those responsible.

According to a United Nations report, 33 Afghan media professionals were killed between 2018 and 2021. The Taliban and groups linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for many of these attacks.

The killing of journalists in Afghanistan has continued even after the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021). In March 2023, a bomb exploded at a cultural center in Mazar-e-Sharif during a gathering of the press for National Journalists Day, killing journalist Hosein Naderi and injuring at least 16 others.

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