PARIS — Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the Taliban’s suspension of Radio Begum, calling the raid on the women-focused station a “brutal attack on press freedom” and demanding the immediate release of two employees who were arrested during the operation.
“The Taliban’s targeting of Radio Begum is yet another outrageous attack on press freedom,” said Célia Mercier, head of RSF’s South Asia Desk. “By using vaguely worded regulations to silence a radio station dedicated to Afghan women, the regime is reaffirming its appetite for brutal censorship.”
The raid, carried out on Feb. 4 by agents from the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) and the Ministry of Information and Culture, also targeted Jawanan Radio, a station aimed at male audiences operating from the same premises in Kabul. The detained employees—a sports journalist from Jawanan Radio and an editor from Radio Begum—remain in custody at an undisclosed location.
The Taliban justified the shutdown of Radio Begum by accusing it of multiple broadcasting violations, including providing content to a foreign-based television station and failing to comply with its license.
The station, owned by the Begum Organization for Women (BOW), was one of the last remaining media platforms in Afghanistan dedicated to women’s issues. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, they have banned women from working in media, arrested over 140 journalists, and forced 80% of female journalists to leave the profession.
RSF said that women journalists who remain in Afghanistan face severe restrictions, including bans on accessing official sources, traveling without a male guardian, working alongside men, and even appearing on air.
Radio Begum, which launched on March 8, 2021, has continued to operate despite mounting pressure. In response to increasing Taliban restrictions, the Begum Organization for Women expanded its services, launching Begum TV in March 2024 and an online educational platform in 2023 to provide home-based learning programs for Afghan girls barred from attending school.
The United Nations has labeled the Taliban’s policies “gender apartheid”, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating senior Taliban leaders for crimes against humanity related to the repression of women and girls.
RSF reiterated its support for these legal efforts and called for stronger international action to defend press freedom and the rights of Afghan journalists.
