KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN has called on Taliban authorities to protect journalists and media workers and ensure that media outlets can operate freely, without restrictions or censorship.
In a joint report titled Media Freedom in Afghanistan, released on Tuesday, November 26, the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Human Rights Office documented the increasing challenges faced by journalists, media workers, and outlets in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The report, covering the period from August 15, 2021, to September 30, 2024, documented 336 instances of rights violations affecting journalists and media workers. These included 256 cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, 130 cases of torture and ill-treatment, and 75 instances of threats or intimidation.
“For any country a free press is not a choice, but a necessity. Journalists and media workers in Afghanistan work under challenging conditions,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan. “They often face unclear rules on what they can and cannot report, running the risk of intimidation and arbitrary detention for perceived criticism.”
“We urge the de facto authorities to ensure the safety and security of all journalists and media workers as they carry out their tasks, and to fully recognize the importance of women working in the media sector,” she added.
The report quoted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who expressed concern over its findings and called on Taliban authorities to respect international law, including the fundamental International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“Journalists and media workers perform vital functions in informing the public on events affecting their daily lives and wider communities, including on essential humanitarian and protection issues,” Türk said, adding that journalists’ role is crucial in ensuring transparency and accountability for the public and government.
“Every effort must be made to ensure that journalists and media workers, and that includes all women, are respected and protected. A free and vibrant media is key to the health and vitality of any society,” he added.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has described the UN report on Afghanistan’s media as “devastating.”
“The UN report demonstrates the importance of monitoring the conditions for Afghanistan’s media and supporting Afghan journalists, both in-country and abroad, so they can continue their vital work,” said
Fereshta Abbasi, the Afghanistan researcher at HRW.
Over the past three years of their rule in Afghanistan, the Taliban authorities have issued at least 21 directives that severely restricted press freedom and access to information. The ruling regime has also detained, tortured, and, in some cases, killed dozens of journalists and media workers across the country.
The regime’s media crackdown has led to the closure of more than half of the country’s media outlets, including television and radio stations. Earlier this month, the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC), a media watchdog, reported that in the past year alone, at least 12 TV stations were shut down, either by direct orders from Taliban authorities or due to media restrictions.
According to a March report by The Afghanistan Journalist’s Support Organization (AJSO), only 13 of 91 print newspapers, 68 of 248 TV channels, and 211 of 438 radio stations remain active in the country. The rest, AJSO says, have either closed or relocated abroad.
