The French Journalists’ Union passed a resolution on issuing visas for Afghan journalists.
At the conclusion of its annual congress, the National Union of Journalists of France (SNJ) passed a resolution, with a majority vote, on issuing visas for Afghan journalists.
The members of the union unanimously called on Emmanuel Macron to expedite the process of granting humanitarian visas to dozens of Afghan journalists who have fled Taliban oppression and taken refuge in Iran and Pakistan.
Part of the resolution states:
“The increasing number of rejected applications this year worries and angers us. On June 26, the visa applications of 11 journalists, including two women, were rejected on the same day in Tehran (Iran). We ask France to fulfill its commitments.”
Shahpoor Farahmand, head of the voice of freedom (VOF), who represented Afghan journalists at the SNJ’s annual congress, presented a detailed report on the challenges faced by journalists.
He said:
“While we appreciate the relentless efforts of SNJ members to address the cases of our colleagues, dozens of Afghan journalists still remain inside Afghanistan and in Iran and Pakistan, needing urgent assistance. They are living under the threat of arrest and torture by the Taliban inside Afghanistan, and face the risk of forced deportation and lack of financial resources in Iran and Pakistan.”
According to the National Union of Journalists of France, several appeals are currently being filed in the administrative court of Nantes against the refusal to issue visas to Afghan journalists by French authorities.
This comes after many journalists, artists, activists, and human rights defenders were welcomed to France following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, albeit after long waiting periods. However, hundreds of them, often without resources, are still waiting for visas in Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey.
At the national congress held from October 16 to 18, 2024, in Nancy, SNJ, the leading organization in this profession, insists that France must continue to welcome journalists waiting in third countries and respect its initial commitment.