Director-General condemns killing of journalist Ahmad Khan Nawid in Afghanistan

Paris: UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has condemned the killing of radio journalist Ahmad Khan Nawid on 9 May in Afghanistan. He was shot dead on the fringes of a protest against the way food aid is distribution in Firoz Koh in Afghanistan’s Ghor Province.

“I condemn the killing of journalist Ahmad Khan Nawid who was caught in crossfire during a confrontation between police and demonstrators,” said the Director-General, “I call for an independent investigation into the circumstance of this tragedy in view of the Afghan authorities’ obligation to ensure that media personnel can carry out their work without fearing for their lives.”

Nineteen-year-old Ahmad Khan Nawid, was a volunteer reporter for the Voice of Ghor Radio. Food aid is one of the authorities’ emergency measures to assist people deprived of renvenue due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably in the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.