KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Free Speech Centre says that journalists in exile are facing widespread challenges and, despite years of professional experience and higher education, many are still forced to work in non-professional sectors to support their livelihoods.
The third annual meeting of the Free Speech Centre was held on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Toronto, Canada, with the participation of 300 exiled journalists, media activists, and academic and political figures from different parts of the world.
The main focus of this year’s meeting was to examine the state of freedom of expression and the serious challenges faced by exiled journalists.
Najib Asil, head of the Free Speech Centre, said many journalists who fled their countries due to threats, censorship, political pressure, and security concerns continue to face serious difficulties while living in exile.
He added that despite having years of professional experience and higher education in journalism, many exiled journalists are unable to secure jobs in the media sector in their host countries and are often compelled to take non-professional work to support themselves.
He added that along with professional difficulties and limited job opportunities, exiled journalists are also dealing with “psychological pressure, separation from family, and security concerns.”
Lyse Doucet, BBC journalist and author of The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan, praised the role of Afghan exiled journalists in documenting developments in Afghanistan.
She said that Afghanistan had achieved significant progress in media and access to information during the republic era, but after the Taliban returned to power, many journalists were forced to leave the country. However, they continue to report on developments there.
Part of the event included a panel discussion titled “How Can We Report on Our Country When We Cannot Return There?” moderated by Jennifer Hollett, president of The Walrus.
The panel featured Haroon Najafizada, head of Afghanistan International Television, Andersson Boscan, senior investigative journalist from Ecuador, Arzu Yildiz, exiled investigative journalist from Turkey, and Walid Batrawi, former Al Jazeera journalist from Palestine, who discussed the challenges of reporting in exile.
Participants noted that media work in exile comes with difficulties, including limited access to sources, security concerns, and ongoing psychological pressure.
However, they said cooperation between exiled journalists and international media networks can help reduce these challenges and allow them to continue bringing the voices of their people to the world despite limitations.
The event also honored Mostafa Al-Asr, an exiled Egyptian journalist and employee of Wave Television in Toronto, as well as the leaders of the exiled media outlet New Perspective, which operates from Toronto for audiences in African countries.
The Free Speech Centre called on the Canadian government and international organizations supporting media to cooperate in the resettlement of Afghan journalists, especially those stranded in Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey and facing serious difficulties.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, thousands of journalists have either fled the country out of fear of persecution or abandoned their profession. Some Afghan journalists who have sought refuge in Europe or the United States have established media outlets, mainly operating on online platforms, and continue efforts to cover developments in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, recent findings by the Afghanistan Journalists Center(AFJC) further underscore the deteriorating conditions for press freedom inside Afghanistan. In a report released two weeks ago marking World Press Freedom Day, the organization said it had documented at least 150 press freedom violations and cases of violence against journalists since May 2025, including 127 threats and 20 arrests of media workers.
The report noted that while the overall number of recorded violations was lower than the previous year, restrictions on journalists have become significantly tighter. According to the organization, the Taliban have increased controls over reporting, content production, and access to information, creating an increasingly hostile environment for independent media.
Furthermore, the Afghanistan Journalists Center said the Taliban’s ban on broadcasting images of living beings has now expanded to 25 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The measure has reportedly forced at least eight local television stations to shut down and compelled others to drastically alter their programming.
Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index, placing it among the worst globally.
The AFJC called on the Taliban to revise its restrictive policies, release detained journalists, and ensure safe working conditions for media. It also urged the international community to increase political, financial, and technical support for Afghan media and journalists.
The continued work of Afghan journalists in exile reflects both their resilience and their commitment to preserving independent reporting at a time when press freedom inside Afghanistan faces severe restrictions. Their efforts remain vital in ensuring that the realities of Afghanistan continue to reach the international community.
