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Text of report by privately-owned Afghan Ariana TV

[Presenter] National and foreign organizations for protection of journalists have described the condition of journalists in Afghanistan as shocking. They also demanded an unconditional release of Afghan journalist Jawid Ahmad, who is currently being detained in the US Bagram prison. Mariam Asi reports:

[Correspondent] Addressing a press conference held in Kabul, officials from these organizations say Jawid Ahmad, an Afghan journalist, is innocent and that the US forces have imprisoned him illegally. They say the US troops imprison innocent people in Bagram and Guantanamo detention centres on various charges.

The Afghan Human Rights Organization [as heard; presumably the Independent Human Rights Commission] and organizations protecting journalists have described the condition of journalists in Afghanistan as worrisome.

Lal Gul, head of the Afghan Human Rights Organization, states that the US forces deployed in Afghanistan have recently put Afghan journalists in jail on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations.

[Rahimollah Samandar, head of the Independent Association of Afghan Journalists] We tried to meet Mr Jawid, but to no avail, as we were not allowed in. The Independent Association of Afghan Journalists believes that the USA, as the largest, most developed democracy and a pioneer of democracy that fights to restore and improve democracy in other parts of the world, is not supposed to detain our journalists.

[Zia Bomia, a member of South Asian Free Media Association or SAFMA] The cases of [violent] acts against journalists have reached their peak, particularly in this season. According to estimates, we have [at least] one such case involving journalists and the press every week. This is worrying.

[Correspondent] Zia Bomia [presumably Rahimollah Samandar], head of the Independent Association of Afghan Journalists, says the condition of journalists in Afghanistan has been critical and worrying over the past six months. According to the official, a large number of journalists have been either killed or detained by unidentified men over this period.

He continued that several journalists had been threatened or illegally detained by the government forces in a number of provinces in the past few weeks.

He also called on the United Nations and the Afghan government to bring to justice those people who create problems for freedom of expression.

It is worth noting that the 22-year-old Jawid Ahmad, who has worked for Canadian television CTV for more than four years, was detained by the US forces at Kandahar airport 10 months ago and then transferred to the Bagram detention centre.

It is said that the US forces have not allowed any organization to review his case. Some reports, on the other hand, indicate that the journalist has been transferred to Guantanamo.

Originally published by Ariana TV, Kabul, in Dari 1530 20 Jul 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring South Asia. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.tracking

Story Source: BBC Monitoring South Asia

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+articleid_2414147&title=Afghan_Journalists.html

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July 21st, 2008 | Category: Afghanistan, Bush Lies, Detainee, Detainee Treatment Act, Journalist, Mohammad Jawed |  Print This Post | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL