KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The “Afghan Journalists Safety Committee” has held a meeting on the occasion of “World Press Freedom Day” with the participation of some Taliban officials, managers of active media outlets in Kabul, and a number of journalists.
Journalists who attended the meeting say that some female journalists were also present, but they were seated behind a curtain.
Babrak Ehsas, a BBC journalist who attended the meeting, said that a curtain had been drawn between male and female journalists, and the women were sitting behind it.
The “Afghan Journalists Safety Committee” stated that Hayatullah Mohajer Farahi, Deputy Minister for Publications at the Ministry of Information and Culture, Khabeeb Ghafran, spokesperson for the ministry, and Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, along with representatives from media outlets such as Tolo News, Ariana News, One TV, Pajhwok News Agency, Killid Group, Khaama Press, Radio Begum, Shamshad Radio and Television, and “a number of journalists, media representatives, and supporting organizations,” participated in the meeting.
This organization mentioned the names of most male participants, but did not mention the name of any female participant.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions on the activities of female journalists and have forced them to wear black masks while presenting programs on television.
Taliban authorities have issued more than 20 directives regulating media activity, content approval, and access to information. These measures have contributed to the near-collapse of what was once a vibrant media sector, with dozens of outlets shut down or silenced and hundreds of journalists forced into exile or hiding.
Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index, placing it among the worst globally.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) reports that since May 2025, at least 150 press freedom violations have been recorded in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, including 127 threats and 20 arrests of journalists. Most incidents were attributed to the Taliban, reflecting increased repression and censorship despite a slight drop in overall cases compared to the previous year.
The organization notes that conditions for journalists have become more restrictive, with tighter control over reporting and access to information. It also highlights the expansion of a ban on broadcasting images of living beings to most provinces, which has led to the closure of several local TV stations and forced others to change their content.
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.
This situation highlights the ongoing limitations on press freedom and gender equality in Afghanistan, particularly affecting women journalists, whose visibility and participation in the media landscape continue to be restricted.
