Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, several Afghan journalists who fled to Pakistan called the anniversary of the country’s fall as the day of the death of freedom of speech and lit candles to remember “one year in silence”.
Dozens of Afghan journalists were forced to leave the country for Pakistan after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Some protestors warned the media that the Taliban’s rule had killed the media and free speech, and they appealed to the international community to pay attention to the situation of the media in Afghanistan. As only one day remains till the anniversary of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, which in their opinion represents the downfall of press and expression freedom, the Afghan journalists who are currently living in exile have repeatedly congregated to raise their voices to the authorities.
Those who claim that free speech is on the verge of dying one year from now warn that if things do not change, people soon will live in a coercive and oppressive society. This comes as 40% of media outlets in Afghanistan were shut down and 60% of journalists lost their jobs during the first year of the Taliban’s control, according to a report issued by the Reporters Without Borders.—Khaam New Press Agency
