KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least 140 press freedom violations were recorded in Afghanistan in the first half of 2025, marking a 56% increase compared to the same period last year, according to a report released Friday by the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC).
The media watchdog said the cases, documented between January and June, include 120 incidents of threats or intimidation against media outlets and media workers.
The AFJC also recorded the arrest of at least 20 journalists during this period, most accused of “propaganda against the ruling authorities.” Detention periods ranged from a few hours to several months, often ending after journalists signed commitments to follow Taliban media policies.
At least six of those detained have been sentenced by Taliban courts to six months to one year in prison. They are currently serving their sentences in Pul-e-Charkhi and Bagram prisons. Three other journalists arrested last year remain behind bars.
The report also points to growing pressure on women in the media. Several women-led outlets received threats or were blocked from renewing their licenses unless they appointed male directors.
According to the report, the Taliban’s ban on images of living beings, first introduced in 2024, has expanded to 14 more provinces. As a result, at least 26 media outlets — including 23 local TV stations — were forced to shut down. Only three were later allowed to resume limited operations, while others converted into radio stations or ceased work entirely.
The AFJC says that in Kabul and other cities, where media previously had slightly more space to operate, the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture banned all political and economic debate programs, further tightening control over public discourse.
The report also highlights growing financial pressure on Afghanistan’s media, as reduced or halted international funding has forced many outlets to cut staff and reduce programs.
The AFJC warned that these combined pressures threaten to dismantle Afghanistan’s fragile independent media sector. It urged the Taliban to uphold the country’s media laws and called on the international community to push for fundamental press freedoms.
Freedom of the press was once considered a key achievement under the former Western-backed government. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, those gains have steadily eroded.
Afghanistan now ranks 175th out of 180 countries on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, just above Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Eritrea. Over half of the country’s media outlets have closed. Many journalists have fled or gone into hiding. Women face even tighter restrictions, including a ban on broadcasting female voices in some provinces.
