CPJ urges Karzai to end intimidation of reporters

In a letter to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the Committee to Protect Journalists asked that he address the problem of the government's intimidation of reporters. On March 10, a Ministry of Defence statement denounced a Wall Street Journal reporter who wrote about allegations that Afghan Air Force equipment and personnel are involved in weapons and drug smuggling.
Such threats put local and foreign journalists in jeopardy, and have a chilling effect on investigative reporting that uncovers government misconduct, CPJ argued.