KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Journalists Centre (AFJC) reports that since January, it has documented 89 cases of violations of journalists’ and media rights by the Taliban across Afghanistan.
In a report released on Thursday, July 18, AFJC said that these violations include 60 instances of threats against journalists and media workers, along with 29 cases of journalist arrests.
The report highlights an increased pressure on private and independent media from Taliban authorities, particularly the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) and the Ministry of Virtue and Vice, which are closely monitoring media content and interfering in the operations of local media outlets.
According to the report, at least seven media outlets have shut down over the past six months, including two private TV stations in Kabul and five radio stations in Ghazni, Parwan, Laghman, and Khost provinces.
“Three of these closures have been temporary, while the rest remain permanently shut down,” AFJC said.
The media watchdog further emphasizes that access to information remains restricted, with Taliban officials frequently reluctant to speak with journalists. Moreover, journalists are not permitted to report on issues that have not been confirmed by the Taliban authorities.
“Additionally, journalists’ personal accounts and social media postings are closely monitored and censored. Furthermore, journalists have been receiving warnings for cooperating with exile media that covers Afghanistan issues,” AFJC added.
The media watchdog urges the Taliban authorities to reconsider their media policies and cease making unjustified demands on journalists and media outlets. It also warns against continuing media restrictions, emphasizing the crucial role of a free and unrestricted press in Afghanistan.
Following the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s once-thriving free-press sector has suffered a near-total collapse. Dozens of outlets have been closed or silenced, and hundreds of journalists and media professionals have fled the country, fearing arrest and torture by the Taliban.
Earlier in April, the Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture suspended the broadcasts of two private television channels, ‘Noor’ and ‘Barya,’ accusing them of violating “journalistic principles and Islamic values.”
In a March report, the Afghanistan Journalist’s Support Organization (AJSO), a German-based Afghan media watchdog, disclosed that after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, only 13 of 91 print newspapers, 68 of 248 TV channels, and 211 of 438 radio stations remain operational. The others have either relocated outside Afghanistan or ceased operations due to Taliban restrictions or financial difficulties.
