KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has expanded its ban on broadcasting images of living beings to three more provinces, in what a media watchdog describes as an escalating crackdown on press freedom in Afghanistan.
In a statement on Thursday, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) said the restriction—already in place across 10 provinces—has now been imposed in Jowzjan, Zabul, and Parwan, bringing the total affected provinces to 13. Local media outlets have reportedly been ordered to immediately cease filming or broadcasting any visuals featuring people or animals.
The AFJC said the directive was delivered in writing by the Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Jowzjan. In Zabul and Parwan, however, the instructions were given verbally. According to the watchdog, the Taliban has also warned of potential consequences for non-compliance.
A journalist in Parwan told the organization that the local branch of the state-run television network has already stopped broadcasting due to the restriction.
The restriction is part of the Taliban’s so-called Vice and Virtue law, which was signed in August 2024 by the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The law gives sweeping authority to the Taliban’s morality police, who are authorized to monitor media and prohibit content they view as un-Islamic.
The AFJC has condemned the expansion of the ban, calling it a significant threat to media operations across the country. While television broadcasters are bearing the brunt of the restrictions, radio and online platforms are also under increasing pressure.
The watchdog called on the Taliban to lift 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.
Despite initial promises to respect press freedoms, the Taliban has issued over 20 directives curbing media activity since seizing control of the country. The AFJC reports that more than half of Afghanistan’s media outlets have shut down, with many journalists fleeing the country or going into hiding.
Female journalists have faced particular challenges, including restrictions on their voices being broadcast in certain provinces and the enforcement of gender segregation in newsrooms.
