The Afghan Journalists Center (AFJC) has reported that since 2001, more than 130 journalists and media workers, including 20 women, have been killed in Afghanistan.

According to AnsarPress, the center released a statement on Sunday, November 2 (11 Aqrab) marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, emphasizing that the culture of impunity has prevented justice for the vast majority of victims.

The statement noted that restrictions and pressures on media activities in Afghanistan have intensified to unprecedented levels.

The AFJC added that during the four years under Taliban rule (August 15, 2021 - August 15, 2025), at least 640 cases of human rights violations against journalists and media staff have been recorded.

These include five deaths - among them two employees of the Taliban-controlled National Radio and Television reportedly killed in an attack attributed to Pakistani forces - and more than 265 arrests, according to the center.

The organization warned that the Taliban`s campaigns against journalists, particularly the spread of disinformation and online defamation of exiled media activists, represent a serious threat to press freedom in Afghanistan.

The AFJC called on the Taliban to respect the fundamental rights of journalists and media institutions, to ensure justice for victims of crimes against journalists, and to revoke orders and policies that restrict press freedom so that journalists can report and reflect events freely and safely.

The statement stressed that impunity and mounting pressure on the media have had devastating consequences for Afghan society and the country`s development, warning that the continuation of such practices would further erode public trust and undermine freedom of expression.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that journalists around the world face increasing risks in their pursuit of truth.