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RSF slams murder of second Afghan female journalist
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday slammed the overnight murder of a female Afghan journalist, the second such killing in less than a week. Zakia Zaki, 35, who also served as headmistress of a local private school, had run the Sada-e-Sulh (Peace Radio) station since it was founded in 2001. The station the only independent radio station in Parwan province broadcasts issues focusing mainly on human rights, womens rights and education issues and is partly funded by a western media group. The worldwide press freedom watchdog issued a statement saying: Whether this savage act was linked to her work as a journalist or her civic responsibilities, it is vital that those who responsible for this murder should be quickly identified and punished. RSF went on to urge Afghan President Hamid Karzai to commit all the necessary resources to ensure a successful outcome to the investigation and to leave no stone unturned. Noting that she had received several threats after openly criticising local warlords and the Taliban, the organisation described Zakis struggle for freedom of expression and womens liberation as exemplary. It went on to say that she referred to Sada-e-Sulh as a community home for the residents, the only place where they dare to express themselves freely. Zaki was killed on Tuesday night when two unidentified gunmen men broke into her family home in Jabalussaraj, in northern Parwan province and gunned her down in front of her two-year-old son, firing several bullets before fleeing. Posted by: Fred 2007-06-07 |
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