(Last Updated On: April 1, 2021) Taliban forces are deliberately targeting journalists and other media workers, including women, in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch said this week. “A wave of threats and killings has sent a chilling message to the Afghan media at a precarious moment as Afghans on all sides get set to negotiate free speech protections in a future Afghanistan,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director. “By silencing critics through threats and violence, the Taliban have undermined hopes for preserving an open society in Afghanistan,” she said. In a statement issued by the rights watchdog, HRW said threats and attacks against journalists across the country have increased sharply since talks began between the Afghan government and the Taliban, heightening concerns about preserving freedom of expression and the media in any peace settlement.