KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Taliban authorities to immediately reverse their decision to suspend the broadcast licenses of 14 media outlets in eastern Nangarhar province.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 6, CPJ called on the Taliban to cease exerting pressure on media and to allow independent media to operate freely.
“Taliban officials must immediately reverse their decision to suspend the broadcast licenses of 14 active media outlets in Nangarhar province that collectively reach millions of people,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ Asia program coordinator.
“The Taliban continues to exert pressure on media outlets to control their programming and broadcasting operations in Afghanistan. They must cease these tactics and allow the independent media to operate freely,” she added.
According to the media watchdog, the suspended outlets included Hamisha Bahar Radio and TV, Sharq TV, Arzasht TV, and 11 local radio stations.
Earlier, the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC) reported that Taliban authorities had suspended the broadcasting licenses of 17 local media outlets, including radio and television stations, in eastern Nangarhar province due to outstanding fees.
According to the AFJC, the Taliban Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology warned that the media outlets’ activities would remain suspended until they renew their licenses and settle their taxes.
AFJC says that media outlets in Nangarhar are required to pay AFN 108,000 ($1,500) for license renewal and $25 in ancillary costs, which the outlets have been unable to afford due to financial constraints.
Since their return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have shut down numerous local broadcasters across the country on various pretexts. The regime has also banned international broadcasters, including the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of America (VOA).
In a report released in March, the Afghanistan Journalist’s Support Organization (AJSO), a German-based Afghan media watchdog, revealed that since 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 are still operational in the country.
According to the AJSO report, the remaining outlets either relocated abroad or shut down due to Taliban restrictions or financial challenges.
