We condemn the murder of Afghan journalist Mina Mangal

AFGHANISTAN, KABUL, May 15 — The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the murder of our colleague Afghan journalist Mina Mangal.

According to the Interior Ministry spokesperson, Nasrat Rahimi, Mina was gunned down in broad daylight on Saturday May 11, in Southeast Kabul. Rahimi added that police investigations had begun to find Mina’s murderers.

Mina had been working as the parliamentary adviser to the Afghan government, a job she took after spending a big chunk of her career as a prominent TV presenter for Pashto-language channels. She had taken to Facebook to talk about the threats she had been receiving.

She feared for her life, but was determined to push forward. Her colleagues and family have criticised authorities for failing to provide her security, despite the threats to her life.

Mina - a staunch propagator of women's right to education and work - was recently appointed to the Cultural Commission of the Afghan Parliament as a political advisor.

The journalist’s family allege that Mina’s ex-husband is the one who attacked her. Her brother has reportedly told media that Mina was once abducted before by her in-laws. He also said that Mina’s ex-husband has been against her working both during and after the marriage. The Afghan police is currently looking for him.

Afghanistan is known for its conservative values and customs. The cultural oppression of women in the country does not seem to end; in fact, brave voices like Mina are silenced for speaking up against oppressors and for supporting women’s rights.

The authorities must work against the oppressive treatment of Afghan women, particularly women journalists, who work at the frontline of threats and violence in the country. We urge the Afghan government to take swift action against our colleague’s murderer and ensure that women journalists are able to do their jobs with dignity and safety.

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Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu, kadın gazetecilere yönelik küresel bir destek örgütüdür. Dünyanın dört bir yanındaki birçok ülkedeki kadın gazeteciler için mentörlük projesine öncülük eden ve kadın gazeteciler için özgür basın ortamına odaklanan ilk örgüttür. Kadın Gazeteciler Koalisyonu olarak dünyanın herhangi bir yerindeki kadınlara yönelik her türlü suistimalin durumunu ayrıntılı bir şekilde belgelemekteyiz. Bireyler ile kurumları biraraya getiren sistemimiz, kadın gazetecilerin endüstride çalışmasına yardımcı olmak için gereken deneyim ve danışmanlığı bir araya getirir. Amacımız, kadın gazetecilerin güvenle çalışabileceği ve gelişebileceği güçlü bir mekanizma geliştirilmesine yardımcı olmaktır.

Daha fazla bilgi için web sitemizi ziyaret edebilirsiniz: www.womeninjournalism.org.

press@womeninjournalism.org