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Afghan media refuse to censor election reporting
Afghan journalists charged Wednesday that their government was violating the constitution by trying to censor reports of violence on election day, and they vowed to flout the order issued by an administration that appears increasingly hostile toward the media.
The Taliban have ramped up attacks ahead of Thursday's presidential vote and threatened to attack polling stations on the day itself.
Fearing that reports of violence could dampen turnout, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement Wednesday saying that news organizations should avoid "broadcasting any incidence of violence" between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. on election day "to ensure the wide participation of the Afghan people."
Even before the ban went into effect, police beat back journalists arriving at the scene of an attack on a Kabul bank Wednesday.
The English version of the document said media "are requested" to follow the guidelines. But the version in the Afghan language Dari said broadcasting news or video from a "terrorist attack" was "forbidden."