The body of Bismillah Adil Aimaq, a journalist and civil society activist in Ghor, who was killed in an attack by unknown armed men in the city of Feroz Koh on Friday, was laid to rest in his hometown in Ghor province on Saturday. 

Aimaq’s father said the Afghan security agencies did nothing to foil attack on his son.

He called on judicial institutions to identity the attackers and serve them justice.

“The enemies of my dear son should be punished as soon as possible. If the government does not take action in this respect, I will take action along my sons and my people,” said Gul Mohammad, father of the slain journalist in Ghor.

“Enemies of this nation did not let my brother to grow. They did not let him to raise the voice of the public,” said Lala Gul, brother of the slain journalist.

“This a huge loss for the journalism community of Afghanistan. We call on the government and the international community to follow this case thoroughly,” said Allauddin Mohammadi, a journalist.

Also in Herat province in western Afghanistan, civil society activists and journalists condemned recent attacks on Afghan journalists.

“We the civil society activists and journalists of Herat call on the Taliban to stop killing us. We are neutral and do not have any kind of affiliation to any side,” said Nooria Rasouli, a civil society activist in Herat.

“Major hands are involved in these conspiracies and assassinations. They want to suffocate the voice of the nation,” said Khalil Rasouli, a journalist in Herat.

This comes a week after a journalist in Ghazni, Rahmatullah Nikzad, who was head of the journalists' union in the province, was killed in an attack by armed men outside his home in Ghazni city.

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.

Violence against journalists and media 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.

50 journalists were killed worldwide in 2020, according to a report of abusive treatment and violence against journalists, published last week by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 

While the number of journalists killed in countries at war continues to fall, more are being murdered in countries not at war, the report said.