Noori’s body was found in a bag, mutilated
and stabbed, on the side of a road in a suburb of Lashkar Gah, the provincial
capital, according to news
reports. His family said he had been abducted by armed men earlier that
day and had been missing for nine hours, reports said.
Noori worked as the producer for two
religious programs, “Membar” and “Mehrab,” for Bost, a
local radio broadcaster that reports on cultural, religious, entertainment, and
social issues, according to Ahmad Shah Passon, a director at Bost. Noori had also
worked in the past as a translator for The
New York Times. He had not reported
on anything controversial or sensitive, Passon told CPJ.
There are conflicting reports as to whether the 29-year-old
journalist was threatened before his death. Noori’s brother was cited in local
reports as saying that the radio journalist had received threats in the months
leading up to his death. Passon told CPJ that Noori was threatened several
times, but that he did not tell his friends and colleagues and never elaborated
on who threatened him or why.
Rod Nordland, the Times‘ Kabul bureau chief, told CPJ that Noori
had not expressed any concern to friends or colleagues about threats related to
his work for Bost or The New York Times.
No group had immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, reports
said. Police in the area said they did not suspect insurgent involvement and that
the manner of death was not typical of insurgent killings, Nordland told CPJ. The
Times journalist added that Noori’s wallet with money was found on his
body, which ruled out robbery, leading his friends and police investigators to
suspect a personally motivated killing.
Abdul Ahad Choopan, provincial police chief, told journalists that
police were investigating the murder.