Media Watchdog Warns of Rising Security Threats against Media, Journalists in Kabul

DID Press: An Afghan media support organization raised serious concerns over a growing wave of security threats targeting independent media outlets and journalists in capital Kabul, warning that reporters risk becoming direct targets amid escalating political and border tensions.

In a statement, the Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) said several independent media organizations and their staff have recently faced new and unspecified security threats. The group expressed alarm over the deteriorating safety environment for journalists operating in Afghanistan.

AMSO stressed that ensuring the security of media offices and journalists is the direct responsibility of the Taliban authorities. However, it cautioned that intelligence operations and security measures should not be used as a pretext to restrict media activities, impose censorship, or create an atmosphere of fear within the country’s media sector.

The organization also warned against the politicization of journalism, saying the use of media outlets and reporters in regional and diplomatic disputes could place them at serious risk. Journalists, AMSO said, are professionally and legally obligated to report facts impartially and “should not be forced to publish propaganda in favor of the current authorities or against the policies of neighboring countries.”

Referring to ongoing political and border tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, AMSO emphasized that such disputes must not be used to justify threats or reprisals against journalists, particularly those who express independent or critical views on social media and news platforms.

The organization called on international human rights groups and media-support organizations to strengthen efforts aimed at protecting the physical and psychological safety of journalists in Afghanistan and to prevent them from becoming targets in political conflicts.