Journalists and the Ministry of Information and Cutlure (MoIC) on Saturday criticized the Afghan security agencies for failing to address the threats facing journalists community in Afghanistan, saying the government has relied on issuing condemnation statements instead of taking action against such acts. 

“No one should be killed only few kilometers away from the highly important political and security institutions,” said Tahir Zuhair, acting Minister of Information and Culture.

“They never took practical measure regarding this issue and relied only on words,” said Basir Fitri, a journalist in Kabul.

This comes a day after Bismillah Adil Aimaq, a journalist and civil society activist in Ghor, was killed in an attack by unknown armed men in the city of Feroz Koh, the center of the province.

Violence against journalists and media workers has increased in Afghanistan in recent months, although a respite might have been expected as a result of the peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

Meanwhile, an Afghan Republic negotiator, Abdul Hafiz Mansoor, said the Taliban is behind the systematic killing of journalists in Afghanistan, stating that the life of a general and journalist has the same meaning for the group to taken it.

“The Taliban is behind all these painful incidents that martyred the journalists or ordinary people,” said Mansoor.

But the Taliban has always rejected involvement in attacks on Afghan journalists.

Aimaq’s murder was also condemned by the US embassy in Kabul and Afghan president Ashraf Ghani.

“Another Afghan journalist was killed today: Bismillah Adel Aimaq in Ghor province. Attacks on freedom of speech and those who seek to inform society are appalling and must end,” US Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson said in reaction to the attack.

“We condemn these attacks on independent media that are killing Afghan freedom. My condolences to his family and all this country's citizens,” he said.

Former TOLOnews presenter Yama Siawash, Radio Azadi reporter Elyas Daee, Enekaas TV's presenter in Nangarhar Malala Maiwand, and Ariana News presenter Fardin Amini all have been killed in different incidents since November 7.

“When the government says it has commitment to freedom of press, then why it does not clarify the murder case of Yama Siavash, why the chairman of the Central Bank does not provide information?” asked Zabihullah Doorandesh, a journalist.

“We are working to thwart threats against civil society activists and journalists,” said Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.

Afghanistan Journalists Center in a report released Saturday said that 112 cases of violence against Afghan journalist have been recorded in the country in 2020 that include eight cases of murders.

Aimaq was the first journalist who was killed on the first day of 2021.