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| Afghan Journalist Beheaded |
| Taliban militants ignored numerous appeals from journalists |
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Daud Khan (aimalkhan)  |
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Published 2007-04-09 04:59 (KST) |
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Turning a deaf ear to numerous appeals from journalists, rights activists, United Nations bodies and Afghan parliamentarians, Taliban militants in Afghanistan announced on Sunday that they had killed the Afghan interpreter who was kidnapped with an Italian journalist while traveling in the country's southern Helmand province on March 6.
According to a purported Taliban spokesman, who telephoned to media offices and correspondents in Kabul Sunday afternoon, they beheaded the Afghan translator, Ajmal Naqshbandi, around 3 p.m. (local time).
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| The caller, who identified himself as Shabuddin Atal, spokesman for Taliban's one-legged commander Mullah Dadullah, said the beheading of the young Afghan reporter was carried out after the government failed to respond to their demand regarding the release of more Taliban prisoners.
Earlier, the Afghan government had freed five high-profile Taliban leaders from the notorious Pul-i-Charkhi Jail in the Afghan capital of Kabul to save the life of the Italian journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo.
The Karachi-born La Republica reporter was set free on March 19 as a result of the clandestine deal; however, the militants kept his Afghan interpreter with them and demanded the release of more Taliban prisoners in exchange.
The Hamid Karzai-led government, which was already facing criticism from inside as well as outside the country for striking a deal with the Taliban to free the Italian journalist, started foot-dragging in the matter.
Since March 19, several requests were made to the Taliban and their dreaded commander Mullah Dadullah to spare the life of the Afghan journalist. Those who struggled to save the journalist's life also included a group of Italian reporters from different media organizations who had arrived in Kabul soon after the kidnapping of Mastrogiacomo.
Besides Afghan journalists and a group of their professional colleagues from the Pakistani city of Peshawar, Afghan members of parliament also joined the chorus for the safe release of Naqshbandi.
According to insiders, the Taliban had demanded the handing over of their spokesman Mohammad Hanif in exchange for the release of Ajmal. Hanif switched sides soon after his arrest by Afghan security agencies three months ago.
However, the Afghan government was reluctant to hand over Hanif out of fear that the Taliban would punish him with death, which might create more problems for the government on the human rights front.
The other objective that the Taliban wanted to achieve by delaying Naqshbandi's release, and now killing him, was to show to the public that the government was more concerned about the safety of foreigners than its own citizens, say the insiders.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, when asked about the fate of Naqshbandi during a news conference in Kabul on April 5, said he had directed security agencies to accelerate efforts for his release.
When asked about the secret deal for the release of the Italian reporter, Karzai said, "It was an exceptional measure." Such measures would not be repeated in future, he said categorically.
The same day, a large group of Karzai's supporters, rivals and some parliamentarians, asked the government to enter into a deal with the Taliban to save the life of the journalist. However, the government was reluctant sensing the danger of more criticism on the local as well as the international front.
Reports regarding the killing of the Afghan journalist spread quickly in Kabul and drew widespread condemnation from media people, rights organizations, nongovernmental organizations and parliamentarians.
In a statement, the head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, said, "I condemn this senseless murder unreservedly and call on the authorities to bring those responsible to justice."
"The perpetrators of this crime had shown absolute indifference to the value of human life by ignoring the calls of family, journalists and Afghans, who with one voice called for his safe return.
"The rights of journalists to go about their work, free from interference or harm, should be recognized and respected by all."
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©2007 OhmyNews
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