The Taliban has shut down Nan Radio and Radio Jawanan in eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, following the closure of Hamisha Bahar Radio and TV network on Tuesday.
In a Persian statement on Sunday, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) expressed concern about the Taliban’s restriction on media freedom in Afghanistan, stating that Taliban officials in Nangarhar are not allowing Nan Radio and Radio Jawanan to continue their work.
AFJC stated that the Taliban has not provided any justification for the closures, which violate the country’s media law and are part of a broader pattern of restrictions on freedom of expression in Afghanistan.
The AFJC called on the Taliban to allow Hamisha Bahar Radio and TV network, Nan Radio, and Radio Jawanan to resume their activities in accordance with the country’s media laws.
According to AFJC. Nan Radio has been operating in Nangarhar province since 2008. Radio Jawanan, which is based in Kabul, broadcasts its programs in Nangarhar through a transmitter.
The Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on media freedom, forcing several media outlets to move their operations abroad, many to close altogether, and some who have remained to comply with the group’s restrictions.
Afghanistan Journalists Centre in its annual report in December 2022 stated that over half of Afghanistan’s 600 active media outlets (audio, video, print, and online) have ceased operations since the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021.
