BRUSSELS — The Afghanistan Journalists Center on Monday awarded its 2025 Journalist of the Year honors to five reporters, including a woman, during a ceremony held in Brussels.
The winners included Nasrin Saeedi of Radio Sarhad in Ghor Province for her report on child labor; Yousef Mangal from Pajhwok News Agency for a report on barriers to education; Ehsanullah Karimi, a freelance journalist, for a report on traffic fatalities; Azizullah Wahdat from Tamadon TV for a report on water shortages; and Ramin Mazhar from Afghanistan International for his reporting on human rights abuses.
This marks the 12th consecutive year that the Afghanistan Journalists Center has recognized journalists for outstanding reporting. Ahmad Quraishi, head of the organization, emphasized the critical role of the press in informing Afghan citizens and called for greater support for journalists working under increasingly restrictive conditions.
Nazifullah Salarzai, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Brussels, described the worsening climate for press freedom, noting that journalists now face severe threats for coverage that displeases the Taliban authorities. “There was a time in Afghanistan when we would debate headlines,” he said. “Today, even a single unwelcome headline can lead to threats against a journalist’s life.”
Robert Dickson, the UK chargé d’affaires for Afghanistan, who also spoke at the event, praised Afghan journalists for their resilience. He highlighted the political and economic challenges they face both inside and outside the country and urged continued international support for Afghan media workers.
“There is a really difficult political and free speech environment, but also a very difficult economic environment in which to pursue news gathering. And I have to say, I hugely admire the resilience of those who are still doing their best within Afghanistan to ensure that the reality of the situation is reflected and that they are still able to report on what is the reality of rule by the Taliban,” he said.
He reiterated the United Kingdom’s commitment to supporting Afghan journalists and amplifying their voices internationally.
“I would like to say that the UK as a media Freedom Coalition partner still remains a very strong supporter of your work to enable all of us to understand what is going on inside Afghanistan,” he said.
