Afghan journalists seek solace in safe houses amidst growing threats

As threats against media workers continue to rise in Afghanistan, a dozen journalists have moved to safe houses across the country, and others have been sent abroad.

New safe houses have been set up in several Afghan cities as evacuations increase, offering some security for targeted journalists.

In 2020, 132 journalists reported receiving direct threats, while UN reports say that more than 30 media workers have been killed in the country since 2018.

The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) – a country-wide network dedicated to creating a safe environment for media workers – is worried that press freedom will continue to be undermined by the threat to Afghanistan’s 10,000 media workers, 20percent of whom are women.