The body of Javid Noori, an Afghan government employee who also worked as a part-time journalist in western Afghanistan's Farah region, was turned over to his family on January 9. He was taken off a bus by Taliban militants three days earlier.

Shoaib Sabet, the Farah provincial governor, said Noori was traveling in a remote part of the province when he was abducted along with 30 other passengers.

"(He) was a government employee but was working part-time as a journalist for local radio," Sabet said. Noori hosted two radio shows for a local station.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Noori was killed because he worked for the U.S.-backed Kabul government.

Journalists in danger

According to the media freedom group Reporters Without Borders, Afghanistan is the deadliest country in the world for journalists with 15 journalists were killed there in 2018. A total of 53 journalists were killed around the world in 2018.

"This summary execution is the first death of a journalist in 2019 to be registered on RSF's barometer," said Reza Moini, the head of RSF’s Afghanistan-Iran desk. "There is an urgent need to end such practices."

The Taliban have long been known to be especially brutal to journalists and other media workers who are protected persons under the Geneva Convention.

"We reiterate our appeal to the international community to condition the start of any talks with the Taliban on their giving an explicit undertaking to respect international humanitarian law's basic treaties, starting with the Geneva Conventions," added Moini.

ot/ct (Reuters)