Fund for family of Afghan journalist shot in Kandahar

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) has organized a campaign to raise money for the family of Javed Yazamy, an Afghan freelance cameraman, reporter and fixer, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Kandahar in March.

Yazamy, 23, known by his nickname JoJo, worked for media outlets covering the Canadian mission in Afghanistan. In 2007, he was detained for 11 months inby U.S. forces at Bagram Air Base, before being let go without any explanation for his detention or his release.

His death has left his family to deal with debts left from securing his release from prison and are also without his income, which supported his parents and six siblings.

The CJFE aims to raise $15,000, and anything above that will go to the Institute for War and Peace Reporting to run training seminars for Afghan journalists in Jojo’s memory.

The CJFE said in a news release about the fund:

“Jojo was a fixer, primarily for CTV, but known to every reporter in southern Afghanistan as fearless, determined and passionate about telling the story of this war and its impact on his family and those he considered adopted family, Canadians.

“His death is a blow for his Afghan colleagues, his Canadian comrades, for journalism in Afghanistan but also for his family”

Visit the CJFE website for details on how to donate.