Press Statement

AIJA urges to ease free flow of information

05 Feb, 2020

Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) is deeply concerned about the deterioration of access to government-related information in Afghanistan. Despite the fact that Afghanistan is one of the deadliest places to be a journalist, Afghan media is still the freest in the region. But the carelessness of the government has endangered this hard- won achievement.

The government has a double standard when it comes to implementing the access to information law, and supporting free media. There cannot be a simpler or clearer example than a censored photo coming out of an event where the government had joined the coalition to support the free press.

All government institutions have shortcomings when it comes to providing access to information, but the worst ones are: the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s Office, the National Directorate of Security, the Office of the President and its procurement unit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Public Health.

We call on the Afghan government, the international community and media support organizations to act in the strongest possible ways to safeguard the free flow of information, our press freedom and our young democracy.