KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has included Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada among 33 individuals and organizations on its 2026 list of “press freedom predators,” which identifies those responsible for undermining independent journalism worldwide.
The Paris-based media watchdog published the annual list on Monday to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. Akhundzada was placed in the political category for his role in restricting media freedom in Afghanistan.
Under Akhundzada’s leadership, RSF said, relentless censorship has suffocated Afghan journalism. The regime has issued more than 20 national directives and a long list of provincial decrees aimed at dismantling press freedom.
“Criticism of the regime is forbidden, women face sweeping restrictions, political debate is silenced and broadcasting images of living beings is banned,” RSF said. “The authorities continue to tighten their grip on journalists and media outlets, threatening them with closure or suspension.”
According to RSF, more than 74 media professionals have been detained in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, including six in 2026. Several have also been subjected to torture, the organization said.
RSF highlighted specific Taliban measures, including the Code of Criminal Procedure for the courts enacted in January 2026, which provides for prison sentences and flogging for insulting Taliban leaders. It also pointed to the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, now enforced in three-quarters of Afghanistan’s provinces.
Akhundzada’s name appears alongside other political figures and social media platform owners, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elon Musk, owner of X.
The organization said those included on the list use various methods, including violence, imprisonment, legal pressure, economic restrictions and propaganda, to silence independent media and limit public access to reliable information.
Four individuals were removed from the 2026 list: former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed; former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was arrested by the United States; former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban; and former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. RSF said these figures no longer have the ability to restrict freedom of expression.
The 2026 list identifies 33 individuals and organizations across five categories: political, security, legal, economic and social. RSF said it was not exhaustive but aimed to highlight those it believes deliberately undermined press freedom during the year.
Afghanistan’s media environment has deteriorated sharply since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. The group has imposed sweeping restrictions on journalists and media outlets, including limits on critical reporting, political discussions, and women’s participation in the media. Journalists continue to face arrests, censorship, interrogations, threats, and pressure linked to their reporting, online activity, or affiliations.
More than half of Afghanistan’s media outlets have closed. Many journalists have fled the country or gone into hiding. Women journalists face even tighter limits, including bans on broadcasting female voices in some provinces.
Afghanistan ranks 175th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2026 World Press Freedom Index.
