تقاضای مردم بويژه روزنامه نگاران ترکیه از دولت افغانستان

ASSOCIATION OF EUROPEAN JOURNALISTS

APPEAL FOR CHARGES AGAINST AFGHAN JOURNALIST PARWIZ KAMBAKHSH TO BE DROPPED


TO: HIS EXCELLENCY MR HAMID KARZAI, PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN AND THE
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT


Dear President Karzai,

I write as an international representative of the Association of European
Journalists to tell you of the acute dismay and concern of our members –
comprising over 1000 European journalists in 20 European countries – over the
detention, prosecution and judicial death sentence ordered by an Afghan court on
Parwiz Kambakhsh, a reporter and journalism student, pending his appeal.


We believe that Mr Kambakhsh is entirely innocent of any wrongdoing, and the
actions for which he was found guilty, while being controversial among some
sections of Afghan society, are clearly within the normal bounds of free speech
and free expression. In view of the clear commitments you have repeatedly made
as Afghanistan’s leader to the norms of international law and human rights
standards, we ask you now to use all your authority to end the unjust judicial
process against Mr Kambakhsh and to effect his early release.

The Association of European Journalists is committed to upholding the principles
of media freedom and independence, as well as the highest standards of
journalistic ethics, both in Europe and internationally. As you well know many
European nations are making large and costly commitments to your country’s
security and democratic development. This case represents a clear opportunity
for you to show the sincerity of your public pledges. No society can be
described as free, we believe, without media freedom and the protection of
journalists from police and judicial persecution.


We call on you therefore to act promptly to demonstrate your good faith and to
respond to this appeal by intervening yourself to have Mr Kambakhsh set free and
to show the outside world that Afghanistan adheres to the values of a civilised
nation which respects democracy and the rule of law.

In the face of the grave danger into which our Afghan journalist colleague has
been placed we ask you to send us this assurance in an early response to this
Appeal.


Yours Sincerely,

William Horsley

Media Freedom Representative of the Association of European Journalists

& Chairman of the AEJ in the U.K.

Telephone +447711 912499



SENT: London, February 6th 2008