Afghanistan: Committee to Protect Journalists asks US to ensure safety of Afghan scribes as Taliban takes over

New York: A top global media group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has asked the US to ensure the safety of Afghan journalists as the country falls under the control of the Taliban, including facilitating safe passage out of the country and providing emergency visas.

In a statement issued on Monday (August 16), CPJ expressed deep concern about the safety of hundreds of local journalists and media workers who could be targeted by the emerging Taliban regime.

"The United States has a special responsibility to Afghan journalists who created a thriving and vibrant information space and covered events in their country for international media," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.

"The Biden administration can and should do all within its power to protect press freedom and stand up for the rights of the vulnerable Afghan reporters, photographers, and media workers."The media group has registered and vetted the cases of nearly 300 journalists who are attempting to reach safety, and there are hundreds more whose cases are under review.

"Because of the deteriorating security situation at the airport, only a handful have been able to board a flight to the US or a third country where their visa requests can begin being processed. The vast majority of threatened journalists remain in hiding," the statement said.

Several Afghan journalists working with prominent US news outlets have been unable to board a flight out of the country, the Washington Post reported. In a joint statement sent to President Biden, the news outlets called on the US to do more to guarantee safe passage out of the country for journalists and media workers who have supported their news operations.

"The international community`s understanding of what is happening in Afghanistan will depend on the survival of what was once a thriving independent press, even if much of the reporting takes place from exile," Simon further added.

In Afghanistan, at least 53 journalists have been killed since 2001, and five were killed last year alone, CPJ research shows. 

(With agency inputs)