65 Human Rights Defenders, Journalists Killed‌ in Afghanistan in 3 Years: UNAMA

UNAMA reported on Monday that 11 Human rights defenders and media workers have died in different attacks since the start of peace negotiations from September 2020 to January 2021.

“The killings have had the broader impact across society of also diminishing expectations around efforts towards peace,” UNAMA statement read, the Khaama Press reported.

Media space and human rights with many professionals have started exercising self-censorship in their works and duties, or they have quit their job or left their homes and country for the hopes of safety.

Many journalists and high-profile personalities fled the country, and that the killings had a broader impact on the society of reporters and human rights defenders.

Deborah Lyons, head of UNAMA in Afghanistan said, “The Afghan people need and deserve a flourishing civic space – a society where people can think, write and voice their views openly, without fear”.

“The voices of human rights defenders and the media are critical for any open and decent society. At a time when dialogue and an end to the conflict through talks and political settlement should be the focus, the voices from human rights and the media need to be heard more than ever before, instead, they are being silenced,” she added. 

According to the report, journalists and Human rights defenders work on a range of issues including violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, for their work they get exposed to threats, harassment, intimidation, arbitrary detention, and surveillance.UNAMA report indicated that all actors play an important role in preventing such attacks and intimidation, preventing impunity, and promoting accountability. The report also added that the investigations should be independent, thorough, effective, impartial, prompt, credible, and most importantly transparent.