Mid-journey

Name: Ahmad SardarOccupation: JournalistDate of Birth: 1974Date of Death: 2014Place of Death: KabulPerpetrator: The Taliban Life and Education:According to a report by Ariana News, Ahmad Sardar was born in 1974 in Kabul. He completed his high school education at Abdul Ghaffar Khan High School in 1992 and then pursued journalism at Kabul University. In 2003, he began his professional career with Agence France-Presse (AFP News Agency). Ahmad was a devoted husband and father, with two sons and a daughter. On the night of Nawroz (the first night of the Persian New Year corresponds to March 20, 2014), he and his family went to Kabul Serena Hotel to celebrate the New Year when Taliban gunmen attacked. Ahmad, his wife, six-year-old daughter Nilofar, and five-year-old son Omar were tragically killed. His two-year-old son, Abuzar, survived but was injured in the attack.Activities:The Independent website, in a report about the murder of Ahmad Sardar, stated: “Ahmad became a journalist in 2001 following the fall of the Taliban regime, when he started work as a translator for Japanese journalists. Two years later the AFP news agency hired him to cover daily press conferences in the US army base in Bagram. He duly perfected his English and his career as a reporter took off.” The report further notes: “Over the years Ahmad built up a series of strong sources among Afghanistan's complex, tumultuous political life from all sides of the conflict, reporting regularly for AFP as well as running Pressistan, an agency which helped foreign journalists find their feet in Afghanistan. But apart from his versatility and widely respected political journalism, Sardar Ahmed had a striking ability also to find original 'human interest' stories which had little or nothing to do with the conflict, and which allowed him to portray life in Afghanistan beyond the…

Name: Shirzad SafiAcccupation: Civil ActivistDate of Birth: 1985Date of Assassination: April 13, 2019 Place of Assassination: LaghmanPerson/Group Responsible for Assassination: Taliban Life and Education:Shirzad Safi was born in 1985 in the village of Sabraabad, Alisheng district of Laghman province. He held a bachelor’s degree in economics and was fluent in English, Arabic, and Urdu.Activities:In 2009, Safi founded the Laghman Youth Solidarity Organization, which united young people not only in the provincial center but also in the districts and villages of Laghman. Besides his civil society efforts, he was elected as the President of the Laghman Youth Federation by two hundred youth representatives, and he also served as a member of the High Peace Council. His main activities included introducing civil society initiatives to the youth of Laghman, facilitating education for hundreds of orphans and the impoverished, raising awareness among the province’s young population, and combating corruption and warlords through his writings.  To read more please also see the PDF.  Profile (PDF)

Name: Abdul Samad AmiriOccupation: Acting Director of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in Ghor provinceDate of Birth: May 25, 1990Date of Death: September 5, 2019Site of the Incident: Maidan Wardak ProvincePerson /Group Responsible for the Incident: The TalibanLife and Education:Abdul Samad Amiri was born in the Lal va Sarjangal district of Ghor province. Nawroz Raja, an Afghan author and researcher, noted in a Facebook post about Amiri's life that he was the eldest son of the family and began his education at Imam Ali High School in Lal. Raja states, “Amiri graduated from high school in 2009 with excellent marks and in 2013 earned his law and political science degree from Kabul University with honors. During his school and university years, he also became proficient in English and Pashto.”According to Etilaat Roz, as shared by Amiri’s younger brother, he had recently applied for the Fulbright Master’s program a while before his death. Nawroz Raja elaborates on this by stating, “He aimed to enhance his abilities to offer greater services to society and had applied for a Fulbright Master’s degree, with plans to pursue a Ph.D. later on.” He also quoted Amiri, who expressed, “I need some time to work in my field and improve my TOEFL scores from 97 to 110. But before that, I must organize my home life to ensure my parents and sisters, who have sacrificed so much for my growth, can live comfortably.”On August 31, 2019, while traveling from Kabul to Ghor, Amiri was abducted by the Taliban in the Jalreez district of Maidan Wardak province. He was executed by gunfire on the morning of Thursday, September 5, 2019, and his body was found alongside the road. According to Etilaat Roz, Amiri’s execution by the Taliban occurred just two days after former U.S.…

Name: Ahmad Omid KhpalwakOccupation: JournalistDate of Birth: 1987 Date of Death: 2011Site of the Incident: Uruzgan ProvincePerson/Group Responsible for the Incident: ISAF Forces Life and Education:The Afghanistan Journalists Center states: "Ahmad Omid Khpalwak was born in 1987 in Kabul, where he completed his primary and secondary education. He also studied in Tarinkot, the capital of Uruzgan province." According to Pajhwok Afghan News, Khpalwak was killed on July 28, 2011, during a Taliban attack on the Radio-TV building in Uruzgan, when he was shot by ISAF forces. He is survived by a daughter.Activities:As reported by the Afghanistan Journalists Center, Khpalwak joined Pajhwok Afghan News in 2007 and also worked with the Pashto service of the BBC.Challenges During His CareerThe BBC Pashto section reported that one of Khpalwak's colleagues shared how he occasionally discussed receiving threats from certain Taliban commanders. These threats stemmed from his refusal to cover specific Taliban attacks or incorporate their views into his reports. After one of these threats, when asked how he responded to the Taliban commander, Khpalwak reportedly said, “I told the commander, do whatever you want; you are not God.”  To read more please also see the PDF.  Profile (PDF)

Name: Sultan Mohammad MunadiOccupation: JournalistDate of Birth: 1975Date of Death: 2009Site of the Incident: Kunduz ProvincePerson / Group Responsible for the Incident: NATO Forces Life and Education:He was born in 1975 in the village of Astana, Bazarak District, Panjshir Province. His early education took place at Amir Shir Ali Khan School in Kabul. After completing his secondary education at Naderia High School in 1991, Munadi graduated from Kabul University’s Journalism Faculty in 2003 after a delay caused by the civil war.On Saturday, September 5, 2009, Munadi was covering the foreign forces' airstrike in Chardara, Kunduz province, alongside an Irish-British journalist when he was kidnapped by the Taliban. After three days of captivity, he was killed on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, during a rescue operation carried out by British forces. Munadi is survived by two children. (Source: 8 Sobh Newspaper)Activities:From 1997 to 2002, Munadi worked at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gulbahar as the communications and public relations officer. He played a key role in coordinating the organization's activities in the northern and central regions.After the establishment of the interim government, from 2002 to 2006, he worked as a local journalist for The New York Times, writing numerous reports in English and serving as a translator and office manager.In 2006, Munadi joined Sobh ba khair Afghanistan and Avanama publications. He produced and directed over four feature films and two documentaries, along with more than 100 TV commercials for national and international organizations. Munadi also founded a program named “Enekas" at National Radio Television Afghanistan. (Source: 8 Sobh Newspaper).  To read more please also see the PDF.  Profile (PDF)

Name: Samim FaramarzOccupation: JournalistDate of Birth: 1990Date of Death: 2018Site of the Incident: KabulPerson/Group Responsible for the Incident: ISIS Life and Education:According to Tolo News, Samim Faramarz, born in Kabul, graduated from the Afghan-Turk High School in 2009. He was proficient in five languages and always sought the truth in Afghanistan with his unique perspective on events. As reported by Etilaat Roz, one of his friends shared that he scored 320 points and was accepted into the Faculty of Literature at Herat University, which was his first choice: "It was a matter of curiosity for everyone why he chose literature with such a high score. One day he told me that his family wanted him to study a field with good job prospects, but he himself wanted to study literature." According to this friend, Faramarz left his studies incomplete after receiving a scholarship to Kazakhstan and graduated with a degree in journalism from Al-Farabi University in Kazakhstan in 2015.On the evening of September 5, 2018, Samim Faramarz was covering a suicide attack in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul with a colleague when he was killed by an explosion attributed to explosives planted in a vehicle.Activities:As Tolo News reports, Faramarz joined this news network nearly three years before he lost his life in the incident. The source also adds that Faramarz was one of the most exceptional journalists at this network and displayed his unique qualities through the reports he prepared during his work. Tolo News writes, "Faramarz occasionally extended his work beyond the borders of the country. In 2017, he traveled to Bangladesh and produced a documentary about the displaced people from the Myanmar wars. His last special report was about insecurity in the Khak Jabbar district and the Taliban's influence in this part of Kabul; however, his final…

Name: Fatima (Natasha) KhalilOccupation: Staff Member of the Independent Human Rights CommissionDate of Birth: June 14, 1996Date of Assassination: June 27, 2020Place of Assassination: KabulPerson/Group Responsible for Assassination: Unknown Life and Education:She was born into an intellectual family, where all the members, especially her mother, continuously supported and encouraged her. The only known detail about her education is that she had recently graduated from the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan and was fluent in six languages. Ms. Khalil and the driver of the vehicle carrying her were assassinated on the morning of the 27th of June 2020 while on their way to work due to a bomb explosion planted in their car.Activities:Fatima Natasha Khalil worked as an employee at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). Additionally, according to her former colleagues:She was actively engaged in women's rights advocacy and worked to improve the conditions of women in Afghanistan, particularly addressing issues related to education, health, and safety.Khalil participated in various social and educational projects aimed at raising awareness and improving the living conditions of women and girls in Afghanistan.She strived to raise public awareness on human rights issues and challenge human rights violations.  To read more please also see the PDF.  Profile (PDF)

Name: Mohammad Ibrahim EbratOccupation: Journalist and Civil ActivistDate of Birth: May 12, 1994 Date of Assassination: May 28, 2020Place of Assassination: Zabul ProvincePerson/Group Responsible for Assassination Unknown Life and Education:Mohammad Ibrahim Ebrat was born in Zabul province, Afghanistan. He completed his education at Shaikh Mati Baba High School in Qalat, Zabul, and later obtained his degree from Dar al-Muallimin (a teacher training institution). However, driven by his passion for journalism, he pursued multiple journalism courses, both short- and long-term, and gained practical experience working at several local radio stations in Zabul.Activities:Ebrat started his professional career with the local radio station Qalat Zhagh and continued his work with other Zabul-based media outlets. His work centered around encouraging the youth and particularly women to engage in media and cultural activities. Recognizing the growing needs of Zabul’s community, he expanded his efforts into civil and human rights activism.Ebrat founded the civil society organization Rana in Zabul, aimed at empowering youth and women. Through Rana, he conducted educational workshops, awareness campaigns, and charitable activities, including humanitarian aid distribution to underprivileged families. His activism was driven by a desire to challenge Zabul’s harsh socio-political landscape, where threats not only came from the Taliban but also from local warlords and religious extremists who were hostile toward human rights defenders.  To read more please also see the PDF.  Profile (PDF)

Name: Fereshta KohistaniOccupation: Women's Rights ActivistDate of Birth: 1991Date of Assassination: December 24, 2020Place of Assassination: Kapisa ProvincePerson/Group Responsible for Assassination: Unknown Life and Education:Fereshta Kohistani was born in 1991 in Kapisa and graduated from a university in Delhi, India. She was a prominent women's rights activist. On December 24, 2020, due to her activism, she was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in Kapisa. Her brother, Shahram Kohistani, who was accompanying her at the time, was also killed in the attack. Her assassination sparked widespread reactions and protests among human rights activists and the international community, drawing attention to the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders in Afghanistan. Notably, just a day before her assassination, Mohammad Yousuf Rasheed, a civil society activist and head of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA), was also assassinated. Kohistani is survived by a son.Activities:Fereshta Kohistani was one of Afghanistan’s leading women's rights activists. She also worked as an advisor to the Executive Office. Her efforts were primarily focused on advancing women's and girls' rights, with her vision of a society free from violence and discrimination. Kohistani headed the Kapisa Women’s Movement and was a senior and active member of the Kapisa Youth Organization. She conducted extensive awareness campaigns and educational programs for women, especially in the underprivileged areas of Kapisa. One of her key initiatives was advocating for improving the rights of women in deprived and remote regions. She actively fought against gender-based violence, forced marriages, and gender discrimination. Kohistani used social media and other media platforms to convey her message to the public and participated in various human rights campaigns, becoming a prominent voice for women standing up against injustice.  To read more please also see the PDF.  Profile (PDF)

 Name: Abdulmanan ArghandOccupation: JournalistDate of Birth: 1983Date of Assassination: April 25, 2018Place of Assassination: Kandahar ProvincePerson/Group Responsible for Assassination: Unknown Armed Assailants Life and Education:Abdulmanan Arghand was born in 1983 in Pashmul village, Zharai district, Kandahar province, into a family that highly valued education. He completed his high school education at Zahir Shahi High School and continued his studies in journalism at Mirwais Nika private University in Kandahar city. According to Pajhwok News Agency, Arghand worked as a journalist in Kandahar for over a decade. On the day of his assassination, while on his way to work, he was attacked and killed by armed men in Kandahar city’s 9th district. Notably, Arghand's family, stating they had no personal enmity with anyone, held the Taliban responsible for his murder. Abdulmanan Arghand is survived by one daughter and two sons.Activities:According to BBC, Nai-Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan- reported that Mr. Arghand had worked as a journalist for five years with Kabul News and several local media outlets in Kandahar. Beyond his media work, Arghand was actively involved in civil society, cultural initiatives, and education. His family noted that he was always seeking to create opportunities for women and his colleagues. One of Arghand's significant contributions was his reporting on the activities of the Departments of Women's Affairs, which, according to a colleague, spurred healthy competition among the departments and increased efforts to create opportunities for women.  To read more please also see the PDF.  Profile (PDF)