Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Afghani counterpart on supporting freedom of the press in that country following the assassination of Malala Maiwand.

The UK Government is deeply concerned by the murder of Afghan journalist Malala Maiwand and her driver on 10 December. The Minister for South Asia publicly condemned the murder of Malala Maiwand and her driver, and noted the UK's condemnation of the murders. Her Majesty's Ambassador to Afghanistan also expressed her public condolences and urged an investigation.

Afghanistan remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. In 2019, the UK provided over £250,000 to projects focused on the safety of journalists, particularly female journalists, and improving access to information. The British Embassy in Kabul regularly raises media freedom with the Afghan government. The UK's International Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, discussed human rights issues including media freedom with the Afghan Human Rights Minister, Dr Sima Samar, on 17 November. We also regularly meet with Afghan journalists and media organisations to understand the challenges they face and how they can best be supported.