KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC) has condemned the Taliban’s threat to shut down the private TV network Tamadon, saying that the move is politically motivated and violates Afghanistan’s media laws.
In a press release issued today, June 7, AJFC emphasized that the shutdown of Tamadon TV signifies a troubling escalation of restrictions on freedom of press in Afghanistan.
The media watchdog urged the Taliban authorities to adhere to the laws governing public media and to permit media outlets to carry out their professional duties without any interference.
Yesterday afternoon, around 2:20 PM local time, Tamadon TV issued an urgent news alert, reporting that a delegation from the Taliban Ministry of Justice had entered the station’s headquarters in Kabul with the intention of shutting down the channel.
Hours later, the authorities of the TV station announced that the decision to shut down the channel had been postponed until the coming Saturday, following a phone call received by Taliban forces from their senior authorities.
Following the incident, the spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Justice, Barakatullah Rasuli, released a statement on social media, saying that the TV station would be closed due to its affiliation with a political party, the Harkat Islami Afghanistan, and its occupation of government land.
“The Ministry of Justice of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has mandated the prohibition of all political party activities in the country. Consequently, the activities of political parties and their affiliated media outlets are deemed invalid according to this decision,” the Taliban spokesman said.
Tamadon TV, based in Kabul, was established in 2006 by Sheikh Asif Mohseni, a Shiite cleric with ties to the Islamic Republic in Iran. The channel broadcasts news, religious programs, and other Islamic content. Previously, the Taliban had ordered the channel to stop broadcasting some of its shows.
In response to the Taliban’s statement, Mohammad Jawad Mohseni, the head of Tamadon TV, denied any connection between the TV station and the political party. He clarified that the founder, Asif Mohseni, had formally and publicly resigned from the party in 2005, a year before the TV station was established.
Furthermore, he said that the land on which Tamadon TV operates was purchased from a private owner and that they possess a legal deed to prove their ownership.
“Tamadan TV was established on land that was acquired from a private owner and possesses a Sharia and legal deed. The land where this media outlet is located holds no significant value and is not a government-owned property,” the head of Tamadon TV said.
Since the return of the Taliban, Afghanistan’s once-thriving free-press sector has experienced a near-total collapse, with dozens of outlets being closed or silenced and hundreds of journalists and media professionals forced to flee the country.
In April this year, the Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture temporarily halted the broadcasts of two other private television channels, ‘Noor’ and ‘Barya,’ citing violations of “journalistic principles and Islamic values.”
In a report in March, the Afghanistan Journalist’s Support Organization (AJSO), a German-based Afghan media watchdog, revealed that following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, only 13 out of 91 print newspapers, 68 out of 248 TV channels, and 211 out of 438 radio stations remain operational in the country.
According to the AJSO report, the remaining outlets either relocated outside the country or shut down due to Taliban restrictions or financial challenges.
