On May 21, 2007 Afghan Parliament suspended a fellow parliamentarian Ms. Malalai Joya for three years and ordered the High Court to file a case against her. They also directed the interior ministry to restrict her movements to within the country. This means she is not allowed to travel outside Afghanistan.
Press for Peace considers that Malalai Joya is a staunch defender of human rights and a powerful voice for Afghan women, and she shouldn't have been suspended from Parliament. It is painful to remind that in November 2005 while answering a BBC correspondent she said , “I know that if not today, then probably tomorrow, I will be physically annihilated, but the voice of protest will continue, because it is the voice of the people of my country." She has survived from many assassination attempts. She has been suspended due to her free voice.
Press for Peace considers that a restriction on freedom of speech is legitimate only if the speech in question poses a clear and present danger to life and property of fellow human beings. In this context, Malalai has posed no threat to life and property of any Afghan national. She should be reinstated immediately and parliament should revise the procedures allowing restriction on freedom of speech.