KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Taliban authorities to lift the ban on live broadcasts of political programs on local media.
In a statement on Tuesday, September 24, CPJ stated that the new restrictions indicate that the Taliban seeks to transform local media into their propaganda tools.
Since their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed increasing restrictions on media and media workers in the country, issuing over a dozen directives that severely limit freedom of the press and access to information.
Last week, the Taliban authorities announced a new directive banning live broadcasts of political programs and restricting guest invitations to those pre-approved by the regime’s authorities.
Under the new directive, all political discussions on local media must be pre-recorded and approved by the Taliban before broadcasting. Local media outlets are required to invite only individuals sanctioned by the regime’s Ministry of Information and Culture as guests.
Additionally, the new directive stipulates that content contrary to Taliban policies or critical of the regime and its authorities must be removed.
According to CPJ, the Taliban’s new media directive warns the media manager, political show desk officer, editor-in-chief, and guests of accountability if they violate the rule.
“The Taliban must immediately reverse their draconian media restrictions and stop dragging Afghanistan back to the Stone Age,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi.
“These new restrictions signal the end of fundamental media freedoms in Afghanistan and seek to transform the media into a Taliban propaganda tool. This must be stopped, once and for all,” she added.
Earlier, the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC), an Afghan media watchdog, also expressed concern about the new measure, describing it as another attempt by the Taliban to undermine free media in Afghanistan.
AFJC urged the Taliban authorities to reconsider their approach and permit the implementation of media laws that support independent journalism and free expression.
The regime’s crackdown has resulted in the closure of more than half of the country’s media outlets, including television and radio stations. Many journalists have fled the country or gone into hiding to avoid reprisals. Female journalists, in particular, face increased restrictions, including gender-based segregation in workplaces and a ban on broadcasting women’s voices in certain provinces.
