22 November 2001

U.S. Denounces Murder of Journalists in Afghanistan

In a statement November 22 to the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), U.S. Ambassador David T. Johnson condemned the recent murder of seven journalists in Afghanistan, calling the crime "censorship by killing."

Following is a transcript of his remarks:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, in the last 10 days seven journalists, working for media headquartered in OSCE states, have been killed in Afghanistan.

On Monday, a journalist from Corriere della Serra and another from El Mundo published articles in their newspapers reporting on their discovery of what they believed to be SARIN gas at an abandoned al-Qaida camp near Jalalabad.

Later that same day, these two journalists were pulled from their cars on the road between Jalalabad and Kabul, along with two Reuters photographers, and then killed by rifle shots at close range. Witnesses reported that the killers were shouting pro-Taliban slogans as they carried out this murder.

Mr. Chairman, our Representative on Freedom of the Media has regularly raised with us the issue of censorship by killing. This is exactly to us what this crime appears to be. And, it indicates to us all that we must redouble our efforts to put an end to this evil.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.