Shafi Karimi, founder of the Afghan Journalists in Exile Network (AJEN), met with senior representatives of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to discuss the growing challenges facing Afghan journalists living in India and explore opportunities for cooperation and support.
Karimi met with Catalina Cortes, CPJ’s Emergencies Director, and Nastia Tkach, CPJ’s Journalist Safety Manager, focusing on the difficult professional and legal circumstances confronting Afghan journalists who have been forced into exile.
During the meeting, Karimi highlighted concerns raised by Afghan journalists in India, including difficulties obtaining residency documents, limited opportunities to continue working in journalism, lack of connections with local and international media organizations, unemployment, financial hardship, and uncertainty about their future. These challenges were also identified by Afghan journalists during a recent consultation meeting.
Karimi emphasized that many Afghan journalists in India have extensive professional experience but lack the networks and opportunities necessary to continue their careers. He called for greater international attention to their situation and stronger mechanisms to help journalists remain professionally active while in exile.
The AJEN founder asked CPJ to explore possible areas of cooperation, particularly in supporting journalists facing urgent protection and safety concerns, strengthening professional connections, and helping draw international attention to the challenges confronting Afghan media professionals in India.
The meeting also discussed the importance of connecting Afghan journalists with international media and press freedom organizations and creating opportunities for them to continue publishing their reporting and journalistic work. These were among the priorities previously identified by Afghan journalists themselves.
Karimi stressed that supporting journalists in exile is essential not only for their personal and professional future, but also for preserving independent Afghan journalism at a time when media freedom inside Afghanistan remains under severe pressure.
The meeting was part of AJEN’s broader efforts to build cooperation with international press freedom organizations and seek practical, sustainable support for Afghan journalists living in exile.
