The Taliban’s head of Radio and Television in the north-eastern province of Takhar has warned local journalists that they will be suppressed if they don’t align their work with the group’s interests.
During a meeting on Wednesday, Muhibullah Nikzad told the attending journalists that they must exclusively rely on sources that align with the Taliban’s interests, warning that disobedience would result in cancellation of the journalists permits and access to information.
On 21 February, journalists in the southern Helmand province were banned from taking pictures and videos during their interviews with officials and members of the public.
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Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, it has imposed numerous restrictions on the media and journalists. Female reporters have been required to wear a full face covering, and in some cases, live broadcasts have been banned altogether.
According to the latest report by the Afghanistan Journalists Center, over the past year and a half, more than half of the approximately 600 media outlets in the country have been forced to shut down, and hundreds of journalists have fled Afghanistan.
