{"id":371,"date":"2026-08-27T07:39:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T07:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/?p=371"},"modified":"2026-08-27T07:39:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T07:39:41","slug":"open-letter-from-afghan-journalists-stranded-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/?p=371","title":{"rendered":"Open Letter from Afghan Journalists Stranded in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To: European Governments, International Organizations, UN Agencies, and Human Rights Defenders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subject: Urgent Appeal for Resettlement and Protection of Afghan Journalists Living in Uncertainty in India<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Sir\/Madam,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We, a group of Afghan journalists currently residing in India, respectfully write this letter to seek your urgent attention and support regarding our increasingly difficult and uncertain situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For several years, many of us have been living in India after fleeing Afghanistan due to threats, persecution, and risks directly linked to our journalistic work. We are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and have complied with all legal requirements expected of refugees and asylum seekers. Despite this, we continue to live in a state of prolonged uncertainty, with no durable solution in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of us dedicated our professional lives to promoting independent journalism, freedom of expression, human rights, and democratic values in Afghanistan. We worked with national and international media organizations, often reporting from conflict zones, investigating corruption, documenting human rights abuses, and giving a voice to vulnerable communities. Because of our work, many of us became direct targets of extremist groups and armed actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the collapse of the former Afghan government and the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, the risks facing journalists increased dramatically. Independent media outlets were shut down, journalists were threatened, detained, interrogated, and forced into hiding. Many of our colleagues were compelled to flee the country in order to save their lives and protect their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India became a temporary refuge for many Afghan journalists. However, what was expected to be a short-term solution has turned into years of uncertainty and hardship. Today, many of us continue to face severe challenges, including legal insecurity, financial difficulties, limited access to healthcare, restricted employment opportunities, educational barriers for our children, and growing mental health concerns caused by prolonged displacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many journalists are struggling to survive. Some have exhausted their savings and rely on support from friends, relatives, or humanitarian assistance. Others live in constant fear of losing their legal status or facing additional restrictions that could further complicate their future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As journalists, we remain committed to our profession and to the values of free and independent media. Yet our ability to continue our work is increasingly constrained by the lack of long-term protection and stability. Many talented and experienced journalists are unable to fully contribute to society, continue their careers, or rebuild their lives due to the uncertainty surrounding their future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We therefore respectfully call upon European governments, humanitarian agencies, and international partners to consider the urgent resettlement of Afghan journalists currently stranded in India. We ask that special attention be given to journalists who remain at risk because of their previous work in Afghanistan and their continued advocacy for human rights, democracy, and freedom of expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also urge international organizations, including UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and other relevant institutions, to strengthen their support and advocacy efforts on behalf of Afghan journalists who remain displaced and vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resettlement is not merely a pathway to safety; it is an opportunity for us to rebuild our lives, continue our professional work, contribute positively to our host societies, and maintain our commitment to independent journalism. Many Afghan journalists possess valuable skills, professional experience, multilingual abilities, and a deep understanding of issues related to human rights, migration, international affairs, and conflict reporting. Given the opportunity, we can continue making meaningful contributions to the communities that welcome us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We understand that governments and humanitarian organizations face many competing priorities and limited resources. Nevertheless, we believe that protecting journalists is essential to defending freedom of expression and democratic values worldwide. Journalists who have risked their lives to report the truth should not be left in indefinite uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our appeal is rooted not only in our personal circumstances but also in the broader principle that those who defend free media and human rights deserve protection when they are forced to flee persecution. The future of independent journalism depends on the international community\u2019s willingness to stand by those who have courageously carried out this work under extremely dangerous conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We sincerely hope that our voices will be heard and that meaningful action will be taken to provide durable solutions for Afghan journalists living in India. We remain grateful for the support already extended by humanitarian organizations and friendly nations, and we respectfully ask for continued solidarity during this critical time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for your consideration and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afghan Journalists in India<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To: European Governments, International Organizations, UN Agencies, and Human Rights Defenders Subject: Urgent Appeal for Resettlement and Protection of Afghan Journalists Living in Uncertainty in India Dear Sir\/Madam, We, a group of Afghan journalists currently residing in India, respectfully write this letter to seek your urgent attention and support regarding our increasingly difficult and uncertain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-news","category-newsletter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=371"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":374,"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions\/374"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajenetwork.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}