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Friday, 15 August 2025
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Dear John,

Today marks four years since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and began their clampdown on human rights and free expression. The Taliban continuehttps://www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/01/afghanistan-female-lawyers-target-taliban-women-law/to silence the voices of women and girls, ([link removed]) journalists ([link removed]) , artists ([link removed]) or anyone expressing dissent. At Index on Censorship, we believe that everyone has a right to express themselves freely, and work tirelessly to defend that right. Today, we share the words of Spozhmai Maani, an Afghan journalist we supported, and ask you to help us protect others at risk.

I am Spozhmai Maani, an Afghan woman journalist now based in France after fleeing Afghanistan due to serious threats from the Taliban.

I am deeply grateful to Index on Censorship for standing by me at a time when returning to journalism after fleeing my country felt almost impossible ([link removed]) . Their support enabled me to resume my work after a year-long break, providing financial stability during my exile, which was instrumental in securing my French visa and asylum. My collaboration with Index on Censorship also helped me secure a journalism job and build vital professional connections in France.

My story is just one example of the life-changing impact Index on Censorship has on those facing threats, intimidation, persecution, and censorship. They work directly with people experiencing these challenges, addressing urgent issues at a grassroots level, and giving journalists and artists in distress the chance to be heard, to receive financial support through meaningful work, and to rebuild their careers in safety.

I urge you to support Index on Censorship ([link removed]) so that others in situations like mine can find the help and hope they so urgently need. Your contribution can ensure that voices silenced by repression are heard again, and that freedom of expression is defended where it is needed most.

Spozhmai Maani

Afghan journalist and Index's Moments of Freedom Winner 2023

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