KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban have revoked the operating licenses of at least 10 media and journalism support organizations in Afghanistan, allowing only three to continue, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) said, describing the move as a violation of press freedom.
The Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture announced on Monday that it would renew licenses for only three organizations, accusing the others of being “unprofessional and creating problems for journalists and media outlets rather than supporting them.”
In a statement, the AFJC, an independent Afghan media watchdog, said the move targeted organizations mostly licensed under the previous government, many of which had shifted to training journalists and media workers due to Taliban-imposed restrictions on their operations.
An official from one of the affected organizations told the AFJC that the decision was made without any formal evaluation of their work and described it as an effort by the Taliban to assert full control over the media sector.
The AFJC condemned the move as “unlawful” and a breach of Afghanistan’s international obligations on media freedom and freedom of expression. It said the measures were part of a broader pattern of suppression and censorship aimed at monopolizing information and silencing independent voices.
The watchdog called on the international community, human rights groups, and UN bodies to press the Taliban to reinstate the licenses and protect journalists’ rights. It also urged the authorities to halt repressive measures and comply with Afghanistan’s media laws and international standards.
Press freedom in Afghanistan has sharply declined since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, with more than 20 directives issued limiting media operations and access to information. The country ranked 175th out of 180 nations in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, just above Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Eritrea.
The crackdown has led to the closure of over half of the country’s media outlets, including state-run television stations. Dozens of journalists have been arrested, tortured, or killed, while many who fled to neighboring countries remain at risk of detention or deportation as host nations tighten policies toward Afghan refugees.
