KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has expanded its ban on broadcasting images of living beings to Panjshir, increasing the total number of affected provinces to 18 out of Afghanistan’s 34.
In a statement on Monday, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) said the Taliban-appointed governor of Panjshir, Mohammad Agha Hakim, had ordered local media to stop publishing images of humans and animals. He warned outlets of legal consequences if they failed to comply.
According to the AFJC, Panjshir currently has two operational media outlets — a branch of the state-run National Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA) and a private radio station named Kechken.
The image ban is already in place in 17 provinces, including Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Badakhshan, Bamyan, Daykundi, and Faryab.
The AFJC earlier reported that the ban had affected at least 25 TV stations, including several RTA outlets. Many have been permanently closed, while others have been converted into radio stations.
The media watchdog voiced concern over the growing restrictions, warning they could severely disrupt media operations and limit public access to information.
The AFJC called on the Taliban to lift the ban and other media restrictions, urging authorities to allow journalists to work freely without fear of censorship or punishment.
The ban is part of the Taliban’s enforcement of the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was enacted in August 2024. The law gives sweeping powers to the Taliban’s morality police to censor content they deem un-Islamic.
Since returning to power, the Taliban has issued more than 20 directives targeting media and journalists. Afghanistan ranked 175 out of 180 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Once home to a vibrant media sector, over half of Afghanistan’s media outlets have been forced to close. Many journalists have lost their jobs, fled the country, or gone into hiding.
