Rights group condemns attack on Afghan journalist

The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the violent attack on an Afghan reporter who was beaten and stabbed in Kabul while on his way home.

Jawed Yusufi, who works for the independent online Ufuq News Agency, was followed by a group of four unidentified men.

They punched him, kicked him repeatedly, and stabbed him in the back several times while he was trying to escape. They then fled the scene.

“The Taliban must take swift action to apprehend the men behind the brutal attack on journalist Jawed Yusufi and bring them to justice,” said CPJ’s Asia coordinator, Steven Butler. “Prosecuting those who attack journalists is an essential measure to assure any semblance of press freedom in Afghanistan.”

Yusufi told the rights group that, while the men did not take anything from him, one of them called him “the foolish journalist” during the attack.

Following the assault, Yusufi reportedly called a Taliban spokesperson and reported the attack.

A Taliban agent met the journalist at the hospital he had been taken to and asked if he was okay.

On Monday, Taliban authorities blamed “armed thieves” for the attack.

Assaults against Afghan journalists are not infrequent.

Last month, a similar attack took place on Ahmad Baseer Ahmadi. He, too, was beaten by a group of unidentified men while on his way home.

In October, unidentified gunmen injured journalists Abdul Khaliq Hussaini and Alireza Sharifi in separate attacks in Kabul, while Taliban members beat and detained Zahidullah Husainkhil.