Press freedom in Afghanistan since fall of Kabul is subject of Aug. 26 discussion

American and Afghan journalists will discuss the current state of press freedom in the war-torn country at a virtual event at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 26. An archived livestream of the event is available online.

After the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan one year ago this month, news organizations scrambled to help colleagues and their families out of the country.

Reporting only became more difficult for those who stayed. Since taking control of Kabul, the Taliban has beaten, arrested, and raided the homes of journalists. The situation has been particularly dire for women, who have been forced off the air or compelled to cover their faces while presenting, prompting pushback from their male colleagues.

The panelists will discuss the challenges facing independent journalists in Afghanistan, their diaspora in DC and elsewhere, and what can be done to support their work.

The panelists are:  

• Zahra Joya is founder of Rukhshana Media, Afghanistan’s only news outlet staffed exclusively by female reporters, named for a 19-year-old girl who was stoned to death by the Taliban. Before the U.S. ousted the Taliban in 2001, Joya dressed as a boy so she could get an education and later enrolled in law school. She has lived in exile in London since she fled the country
• Nazira Karimi reported for Afghanistan National Radio and TV, BBC, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Voice of America, and more until Kabul fell to the Taliban. She now owns and manages NK Media, a futuristic multimedia house for the Afghan community around the world. 
• Mustafa Kazemi has more than 12 years of reporting experience in Afghanistan for outlets including Radio Free Europe, Sky News, Business Insider and AFP. He also served in the Afghan Special Forces. Kazemi and his family evacuated to Virginia following the Taliban takeover in August 2021. 
• Rebecca Blumenstein is deputy managing editor of The New York Times. Among her many responsibilities, she led the effort to relocate and resettle more than 200 current and former Afghan colleagues and their families following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

The event is co-sponsored by the Club’s Press Freedom Committee and International Correspondents Committee and will be moderated by Al-Monitor’s Elizabeth Hagedorn.

Registered participants will receive a unique link to access the webinar in their confirmation email after completing registration. Attendees are invited to submit questions during the event using the Q&A feature.