KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Journalist Centre (AFJC) reports that Taliban authorities have suspended the broadcasts of Zhman Radio, a local station in eastern Khost province, for airing background music during one of its programs.
In a statement, the AFJC said that the Taliban’s Department of Virtue and Vice in Khost “locked and sealed” the local radio station on Wednesday, November 6, for violating the ban on broadcasting music.
The media watchdog expressed serious concern over the development, calling it a clear violation of media freedom, and urged the Taliban authorities to immediately reopen the radio station without any preconditions.
Following the closure of the radio station, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based media watchdog, condemned the action as another attack on press freedom in Afghanistan and called for its immediate reopening.
Zhman Radio, a private media outlet with seven years of experience, is the second radio station in Khost to be suspended for playing music, following the closure of Radio Gharghast on October 31, which later resumed operations after assuring compliance.
Shortly after returning to power, the Taliban banned all forms of music broadcasts, declaring them a violation of Islamic law, and warned radio and TV stations of potential consequences, including closure, if the ban was not followed.
This measure is part of a broader Taliban crackdown on media freedom since their return to power in 2021, during which they have issued more than 20 directives severely restricting press freedom and access to information.
The regime’s crackdown has resulted in the closure of over half of the country’s media outlets, including television and radio stations. Many journalists have fled the country or gone into hiding to escape 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.
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, 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. The remaining outlets either relocated outside the country or shut down due to Taliban restrictions or financial challenges.
