KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV) has barred journalists from bringing cameras or video recording equipment to a major summit scheduled for Sunday in Kabul, further tightening restrictions on media freedom.
In a press invitation issued ahead of the meeting, the ministry instructed outlets not to film or record the session, which will be held in the ministry’s conference hall near Darul Aman Palace. The main agenda is to review strategies for implementing the latest decree from the Taliban’s reclusive leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
The ban on media coverage comes amid mounting concern from international press freedom organizations, which warn that Taliban-imposed restrictions are obstructing transparency and limiting public access to information.
The move follows reports that Taliban authorities in several provinces have begun enforcing a nationwide ban on publishing images of living beings. According to Taliban officials, the prohibition, already in place in 14 provinces, will soon be expanded to all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
Journalists and media advocates say such restrictions have placed severe pressure on independent journalism, compounding the risks faced by reporters working under Taliban rule.
Under Article 17, Clause 3 of the Taliban’s Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law, passed in August 2024, officials are tasked with preventing the dissemination of content containing images of living beings. Enforcement agents of the ministry, stationed across Afghanistan, have used this law to impose sweeping limitations on media, women, and broader civil liberties.
The Taliban’s increasingly strict media policies have been widely criticized by human rights groups, who argue that the clampdown on free expression is isolating Afghanistan from the international community and eroding fundamental rights.
