KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has extended its ban on broadcasting images of living beings to three more provinces, bringing the total number of affected provinces to ten, according to a media watchdog.
In a statement, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) said that the Taliban authorities in Badakhshan, Baghlan, and Nimruz have directed local media outlets to stop broadcasting images of humans and animals. The order came with warnings of consequences for those who do not comply.
According to the AFJC, in Badakhshan province, ten private radio stations and two television channels continue to operate alongside the state-owned Radio and Television Afghanistan (RTA) and the local branch of the state-run Bakhtar News Agency. In Baghlan, one private TV channel and five radio stations remain active, while in Nimruz, two TV channels and four radio stations are operating—all of which are now affected by the new restriction.
The AFJC noted that similar bans had already been enforced in the provinces of Kandahar, Takhar, Badghis, Helmand, Nangarhar, Nuristan, and Farah.
The directive is part of the Taliban’s so-called Vice and Virtue law, signed by the group’s reclusive supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in August 2024. The law grants sweeping powers to the Taliban’s morality police, including the authority to monitor media content and prohibit the publication or broadcast of images of living beings—practices the group claims are contrary to Islamic principles.
The AFJC has expressed serious concern over the expanding restrictions, warning that they are severely disrupting media operations. It said television stations have been particularly affected, while radio broadcasters and social media-based outlets are also facing growing challenges.
The watchdog called on the Taliban to reverse the ban and revoke other restrictions introduced since the group’s return to power in August 2021. It urged the authorities to allow independent media to function freely under the framework of Afghanistan’s media law.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has imposed a wave of restrictions on the country’s once-vibrant media sector. Although the group initially pledged to uphold the Afghanistan Media Law—which prohibits interference in press operations—it has since issued more than 20 directives curbing press freedom. More than half of Afghanistan’s media outlets have shut down as a result.
Journalists face growing risks, with many fleeing the country or going into hiding. Female journalists, in particular, have been subjected to escalating limitations, including bans on broadcasting their voices in some regions and enforced gender segregation in newsrooms.
