KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has reported a sharp rise in violations against media and journalists under Taliban rule, with incidents increasing by 24% over the past year.
Released on Sunday, the AFJC’s report covers the period from March 2024 to March 2025 and documents 181 cases of media and journalist rights violations, including 131 threats and 50 arrests.
The report highlights that, of the recorded threats, at least 22 involved the suspension or closure of media outlets. 15 of these outlets have yet to resume operations. Among the detained journalists, 10 remain in prison, with four sentenced to two to three years in jail.
By comparison, in 2023, the AFJC recorded 139 incidents of media rights violations, including 80 threats and 59 detentions.
Nearly four years into the Taliban’s rule, media freedom has been severely restricted, with repeated raids on media offices, detentions, and the closure of numerous outlets.
Particularly, with the newly enacted Taliban morality law in 2023, the group’s enforcers have been granted sweeping powers over media activities. They now oversee media outlets and can take action against journalists and media organizations, often with support from the Taliban’s intelligence agency.
The report also noted a disturbing new phase in media suppression, with the Taliban banning the broadcasting of images of deceased individuals.
In addition, five new directives were issued to media outlets. These included a ban on live political and economic broadcasts, restrictions on airing critical content about the Taliban’s policies, and the requirement to seek Taliban approval before inviting guests to media programs. Media outlets were also instructed to refer to Taliban officials as “martyrs” when reporting on their deaths.
The AFJC pointed out that journalists who defied these directives faced penalties, including temporary or permanent bans on their activities.
The report did noted there were no reports of targeted attacks on media outlets or harm to journalists during this period.
