Television Stations in Badghis Cease Operations as Taliban Enforces Ban on Live Images

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Television stations in western Badghis province have ceased broadcasting after the Taliban imposed a ban on airing live images, according to the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC). The directive, issued by the Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture, restricts media operations to audio and text formats, marking another blow to press freedom.

In a statement on October 23, the AFJC indicated that the order was communicated to journalists and media executives via WhatsApp. The Taliban justified the ban under their morality law, mandating that news outlets replace live images with inanimate visuals such as signs, buildings, and landscapes.