Afghan citizen journalist Javid Noori has been executed by the Taliban, making him the first journalist to be killed in 2019.
Noori was killed on 5 January by Taliban fighters when they searched a bus he was on at a roadblock in the Afghan province of Farah, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The 27-year-old worked in the regional government and hosted two shows on Radio Neshat, including one that touched on social issues.
German English-language broadcaster Deutsche Welle has reported that the part-time journalist’s body was handed over to his family on Wednesday last week.
RSF’s Afghanistan-Iran desk head Reza Moini said: “There is an urgent need to end such practices.
“We reiterate our appeal to the international community to condition the start of any talks with the Taliban on their giving an explicit undertaking to respect international humanitarian law’s basic treaties, starting with the Geneva Conventions.”
Amnesty International South Asia tweeted: “Amnesty is horrified by the murder of Javid Noori, a journalist from Farah province in Afghanistan who was detained and shot dead by the Taliban.
“2018 was the deadliest year for Afghan journalists. The killings must stop, they should be able to do their work freely/without fear.”
RSF report that the Taliban confirmed his death in a statement that described him as an “enemy officer”.
The death of Noori is the first to be included on RSF’s 2019 barometer, which also claims that some 319 journalists are imprisoned at this time.
The International Federation of Journalists and RSF found Afghanistan the most deadly country for journalists in 2018 in their reports of worldwide media deaths.
Picture: RSF
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