Afghanistan no longer a member of MFC

KABUL (Khaama Press): The Media Freedom Coalition co-chairs declared that Afghanistan, which joined the coalition in 2020 by fulfilling the Global Pledge, would no longer be a member as a result of the deterioration in the country’s media freedom situation.
The Media Freedom Coalition’s co-chairs, the Netherlands and Canada, said that Afghanistan had been removed after situations for media freedom declined following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
“It is clear to the MFC (Media Freedom Coalition) that the situation of media freedom in Afghanistan is, unfortunately, no longer in line with the Global Pledge,” the statement reads. “Indeed, the current state of affairs is one of grave concern.”
Afghanistan joined the Media Freedom Coalition in January 2020 after then-President Ashraf Ghani’s administration signed the Global Pledge on Media Freedom.
Since taking control, the Taliban have placed severe restrictions on media freedom, affecting the security and well-being of journalists and media professionals.
According to the statement, media freedom in Afghanistan has quickly been lost due to persistent harassment, assaults, detentions, and exclusion of women from the media, putting journalists’ lives in danger every day.
“All Media Freedom Coalition member countries committed to respect and uphold the Global Pledge, and are held accountable by members if they fail to do so,” the statement stated.
The Media Freedom Coalition also said it would continue to keep a careful eye on the state of media freedom in Afghanistan.
This comes as the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has highlighted the unprecedented increase of violence against journalists as there have been over 200 cases of journalist human rights violations recorded.