CNN is citing Taliban-imposed Sharia law in its defense against a defamation case brought by Zachary Young and his Nemex Enterprises firm. CNN is accused of implying Young, whose company offered private evacuations to Afghan women following the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris government’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, illegally “exploited” the women he evacuated.
In a November 11, 2021 segment, CNN’s Jake Tapper said, “Afghans trying to get out of the country face a black market full of promises, demands of exorbitant fees, and no guarantee of safety or success.” CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt added that “desperate Afghans are being exploited” while Young’s face was displayed on screen—prompting him to sue.
CNN is arguing that the Taliban regime had “implemented Sharia law, banning women from leaving the country,” and so “those activities [Young] orchestrated and funded, which involved moving women out of Afghanistan, almost certainly were illegal under Taliban rule.”
The network has drawn backlash for citing Sharia law to defend its characterization of Young’s actions as illegal. Still, a spokesman insists that while “Young takes issue with CNN referring to the conditions on the ground as a black market… the state of local law is a necessary part of the legal analysis.”
“Citing a terrorist regime’s most extreme, twisted, interpretation of Sharia reflects CNN’s desperation to dodge accountability. Their argument is both legally baseless and an insult to the memory of those who suffered at the Taliban’s hands. We look forward to seeing CNN in trial,” said Vel Freedman, representing Young.
CNN recently shuttered its opinion section amid ongoing layoffs and restructuring at the failing network.
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