The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has documented nearly 450 cases of violence against journalists and media workers since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, according to a report released Thursday in observance of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
The report details a troubling landscape for the Afghan press: over the past three years, at least 447 incidents of threats, detentions, and assaults have been recorded, with three journalists killed in that time. AFJC reports that 220 of these cases involve detentions of journalists, underscoring the risk of arrest faced by Afghan media professionals under Taliban rule.
The report also draws attention to a longer history of impunity for crimes against journalists in Afghanistan, noting that more than 120 journalists and media workers have lost their lives in the past two decades, with few perpetrators ever held accountable. Since 2001, at least 128 journalists, including 20 women, have been killed in the country, with justice sought—and denied—in over 90 percent of these cases.
The AFJC’s findings highlight the extent to which press freedom has eroded since the Taliban’s takeover, with the organization citing “unprecedented restrictions” on journalists’ work and mobility. The report warns that the culture of impunity, combined with a steady escalation of threats, arrests, and daily pressures on journalists, poses long-term risks to Afghan society and its development.
In a call for action, the AFJC urged the Taliban to end its repression of the press, repeal restrictive media laws, and bring perpetrators of violence against journalists to justice.
Since assuming power, the Taliban has intensified censorship and stepped up threats and arrests of journalists, sharply curtailing freedom of expression in Afghanistan.
