RASC News Agency: After the downfall of the republican system, numerous Afghanistani journalists and reporters sought refuge in Iran, aiming to eventually immigrate to countries with friendlier immigration policies. They express grievances about the lack of attention to their pleas by media support institutions. Those who have endured myriad challenges in Iran for over two years assert that no international body has addressed their journalists’ concerns.
In a gathering held on Saturday, Mar 9, organized by the Afghanistan Journalists Federation in exile in Tehran, Iran, these journalists urgently appealed for assistance from international organizations. Pouya, representing the Afghanistan Journalists Federation in Iran, articulates, “For nearly three years, we have been ensnared in deadlock and uncertainty. Following the Taliban’s takeover of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, journalists’ lives have become exceedingly arduous and draining. Our earnest wish is for humanity to collaborate with us, enabling us to continue our lives in a secure environment. Journalists in Iran face immense suffering and challenges, enduring the constant threat of forced expulsion. Regrettably, no one has responded positively to our journalists’ humanitarian pleas, and our three years of tribulation have been disregarded.”
Marzia Yousefi, another participant, remarks, “Despite repeated appeals to media support institutions to address this plight, none have offered affirmative responses. Many journalists in Iran grapple with profound uncertainty, and promises made by media support institutions have yet to materialize.”
She emphasizes that resident journalists in Iran are deeply dissatisfied with this state of affairs, stating, “Media support institutions must promptly attend to their requests, facilitating their liberation from this dire situation and enabling them to live in security and tranquility.” Participants stress that Afghanistani journalists in Iran encounter various challenges, including uncertainty, dire economic conditions, and a lack of legitimate professional opportunities, necessitating support from the international community.
Following the Taliban’s ascension to power in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, numerous individuals fled to neighboring countries out of fear for their lives, including a vulnerable group comprising journalists and human rights activists. At the conclusion of a protest rally by Afghanistani refugee journalists in Iran, a resolution was read, highlighting the plight of refugee journalists who have resided in Iran for nearly three years. They face numerous hardships, lack access to basic living facilities, possess no valid residency documents, face the constant threat of forced expulsion, and appeal earnestly to media support institutions and journalists to heed their voices and rescue them from the abyss of uncertainty in which they are trapped.
