At least 17 journalists were killed and over 100 cases of violence against media workers reported in Afghanistan in 2018, one of the bloodiest years for the press in the war-torn country, a media watchdog said on Thursday.

Afghan Journalists Safety Committee in its annual report released in Kabul said the number of slain journalists was fewer than in 2017, when 20 deaths marked the deadliest year for media persons since the nonprofit started tracking these incidents in 2013.

It said 15 journalists were injured last year and 121 cases of physical violence and intimidation were reported, including illegal detention, threats and insults.

Of the 121 cases, 41 per cent were carried out by the Taliban and the Islamic State militant groups, 27 per cent by the people related to the government, five per cent by owners of media outlets and the rest by unidentified people.

At least 11 per cent of the victims in such cases were women, the watchdog said.

AJSC director Najib Sharifi told EFE that he was extremely concerned by the "deliberate and direct targeting" of journalists and media outlets.

He said despite growing threats to journalists, most of the media houses were yet to employ sufficient security measures to protect their employees.

"We ask the government to take serious security measures. We also call on owners of the media outlets to pay attention to the security of their journalists," Sharifi said.

AJSC researcher Abdul Qadim Wiar said 2018 was more violent as compared to the past because the nature of the violence against journalists "changed completely."

Sharifi pointed out that most of the deaths in 2018 occurred on April 30, when a double-suicide attack in Kabul - claimed by the Islamic State - killed nine journalists, including an AFP photojournalist.

On the same day, an Afghan journalist working for British broadcaster BBC died in a shooting incident in southeast Afghanistan.

Last week, an anti-terrorist trial court awarded death to one of the convicts and six and 30 years one to other two in the BBC journalist's murder.

At least 17 journalists were killed and over 100 cases of violence against media workers reported in Afghanistan in 2018, one of the bloodiest years for the press in the war-torn country, a media watchdog said on Thursday.

At least 17 journalists were killed and over 100 cases of violence against media workers reported in Afghanistan in 2018, one of the bloodiest years for the press in the war-torn country, a media watchdog said on Thursday. Afghan Journalists Safety Committee in its annual report released in Kabul said the number of slain journalists was fewer than in 2017, when 20 deaths marked the deadliest year for media persons since the nonprofit started tracking these incidents in 2013. It said 15 journalists were injured last year and 121 cases of physical violence and intimidation were reported, including illegal detention, threats and insults. Of the 121 cases, 41 per cent were carried out by the Taliban and the Islamic State militant groups, 27 per cent by the people related to the government, five per cent by owners of media outlets and the rest by unidentified people. At least 11 per cent of the victims in such cases were women, the watchdog said. AJSC director Najib Sharifi told EFE that he was extremely concerned by the "deliberate and direct targeting" of journalists and media outlets. He said despite growing threats to journalists, most of the media houses were yet to employ sufficient security measures to protect their employees. "We ask the government to take serious security measures. We also call on owners of the media outlets to pay attention to the security of their journalists," Sharifi said. AJSC researcher Abdul Qadim Wiar said 2018 was more violent as compared to the past because the nature of the violence against journalists "changed completely." Sharifi pointed out that most of the deaths in 2018 occurred on April 30, when a double-suicide attack in Kabul - claimed by the Islamic State - killed nine journalists, including an AFP photojournalist. On the same day, an Afghan journalist working for British broadcaster BBC died in a shooting incident in southeast Afghanistan. Last week, an anti-terrorist trial court awarded death to one of the convicts and six and 30 years one to other two in the BBC journalist's murder.

17 Journalists killed in Afghanistan in 2018: Media watchdog

At least 13 journalists were killed in Afghanistan in 2016 &mdash; the deadliest year on record for journalists in the country and making it the second-most dangerous for reporters in the world after Syria.

A report by the Afghan Journalists&#39; Safety Committee (AJSC), released on Thursday, also said the Taliban was behind at least 10 of the deaths.

&quot;This increase in violence against journalists has turned Afghanistan into the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world, after Syria,&quot; Najib Sharifi, chairman of the committee, told reporters on Thursday.&nbsp;

The report noted that a shift in the Taliban&#39;s policy towards the media was the &quot;main driver of the increase in the level of threats and deadly violence against journalists&quot;.

In January last year, seven employees of popular TV channel Tolo, often critical of the insurgents, were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in what the militant group said was revenge for &quot;spreading propaganda&quot; against them.

It was the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 and spotlighted the dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks.

In June, American journalist David Gilkey and his Afghan translator were killed in a rocket attack by the Taliban in southern Helmand province.

&#39;101 cases of violence against media, government forces responsible for most&#39;

The committee also found 101 cases of violence against the media in 2016, a 38 per cent increase from 2015. It said the figures highlighted the threat faced by a media workers who put their lives on the line to report events in their war-torn country.

The report also said that a majority of the violent incidents against journalists were carried out by government forces, with the European Union criticising the &quot;alarming&quot; trend.

&quot;The government should do its utmost to bring perpetrators of threats, attacks and killing of journalists to justice,&quot; the EU delegation to Afghanistan said in a statement.

Twenty-eight journalists and media workers have been killed in the past five years in Afghanistan, the report stated. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

A report by the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee said 2016 was the deadliest year for journalists in Afghanistan

At least 13 journalists were killed in Afghanistan in 2016 — the deadliest year on record for journalists in the country and making it the second-most dangerous for reporters in the world after Syria. A report by the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee (AJSC), released on Thursday, also said the Taliban was behind at least 10 of the deaths. "This increase in violence against journalists has turned Afghanistan into the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world, after Syria," Najib Sharifi, chairman of the committee, told reporters on Thursday. The report noted that a shift in the Taliban's policy towards the media was the "main driver of the increase in the level of threats and deadly violence against journalists". In January last year, seven employees of popular TV channel Tolo, often critical of the insurgents, were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in what the militant group said was revenge for "spreading propaganda" against them. It was the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 and spotlighted the dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks. In June, American journalist David Gilkey and his Afghan translator were killed in a rocket attack by the Taliban in southern Helmand province. '101 cases of violence against media, government forces responsible for most' The committee also found 101 cases of violence against the media in 2016, a 38 per cent increase from 2015. It said the figures highlighted the threat faced by a media workers who put their lives on the line to report events in their war-torn country. The report also said that a majority of the violent incidents against journalists were carried out by government forces, with the European Union criticising the "alarming" trend. "The government should do its utmost to bring perpetrators of threats, attacks and killing of journalists to justice," the EU delegation to Afghanistan said in a statement. Twenty-eight journalists and media workers have been killed in the past five years in Afghanistan, the report stated. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Afghanistan world's most dangerous place for journalists after Syria

Violence and intimidation against journalists in Afghanistan has spiked sharply this month, with much of it coming from government security forces, the main journalists&#39; right groups said on Tuesday. 
 
In addition to the deaths of two journalists working for the US National Public Radio, who were killed in the southern province of Helmand, numerous cases of beating and intimidation were reported to the Kabul Press Club and Afghan Independent Journalist Association (AIJA). 
 
Twenty-two cases were reported in June, around double the monthly level seen in past years, with 15 carried out by security forces, four by the Taliban and another three by unnamed armed groups, Rahimullah Samander, the head of AIJA, told a press conference. 
 
&quot;We ask government departments, armed groups and those who are involved in the fighting to pave the way for reporters to do their jobs properly,&quot; Samander said. 
 
International concern about attacks on journalists has grown since a Taliban suicide bomber killed seven staff of Afghanistan&#39;s largest private television station in January. 
 
But the jump in cases of mistreatment underscores the sometimes precarious situation facing media workers in Afghanistan, not just from the Taliban but also from security forces. 
 
&quot;In some cases, government employees, specially low-ranking police officers, do not understand how to behave with reporters,&quot; Samander said. 
 
Violence against journalists was recorded in Kabul, as well as the provinces of Zabul in the south, Daikundi in the centre and Logar in the east. 
 
NPR photojournalist David Gilkey and his Afghan colleague Zabihullah Tamanna were killed in a Taliban ambush this month in southern Helmand province and two days later a radio station was blown up by the Taliban in eastern Nangarhar. 
 
Freedom of speech has been seen as a key achievement of the Western-backed governments in Kabul over recent years. 
 
(Reuters)

And it's not just the Taliban who's responsible, some policemen manhandle reporters as well

Violence and intimidation against journalists in Afghanistan has spiked sharply this month, with much of it coming from government security forces, the main journalists' right groups said on Tuesday. In addition to the deaths of two journalists working for the US National Public Radio, who were killed in the southern province of Helmand, numerous cases of beating and intimidation were reported to the Kabul Press Club and Afghan Independent Journalist Association (AIJA). Twenty-two cases were reported in June, around double the monthly level seen in past years, with 15 carried out by security forces, four by the Taliban and another three by unnamed armed groups, Rahimullah Samander, the head of AIJA, told a press conference. "We ask government departments, armed groups and those who are involved in the fighting to pave the way for reporters to do their jobs properly," Samander said. International concern about attacks on journalists has grown since a Taliban suicide bomber killed seven staff of Afghanistan's largest private television station in January. But the jump in cases of mistreatment underscores the sometimes precarious situation facing media workers in Afghanistan, not just from the Taliban but also from security forces. "In some cases, government employees, specially low-ranking police officers, do not understand how to behave with reporters," Samander said. Violence against journalists was recorded in Kabul, as well as the provinces of Zabul in the south, Daikundi in the centre and Logar in the east. NPR photojournalist David Gilkey and his Afghan colleague Zabihullah Tamanna were killed in a Taliban ambush this month in southern Helmand province and two days later a radio station was blown up by the Taliban in eastern Nangarhar. Freedom of speech has been seen as a key achievement of the Western-backed governments in Kabul over recent years. (Reuters)

Violence and intimidation against journalists in Afghanistan on the rise