GENEVA — Marking World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, called on the Taliban to immediately end censorship, release detained media workers, and restore fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
In a recorded statement, Bennett warned that press freedom in Afghanistan has deteriorated sharply since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Journalists and media workers, he said, face censorship so severe they are often barred from publishing images of living beings. These restrictions are enforced through harassment, arbitrary arrests, and violence.
“I urge the Taliban to immediately release all the journalists, media workers, filmmakers, and others detained for exercising their human rights,” he said.
Bennett highlighted the specific risks faced by women journalists, who operate under even tighter restrictions than their male peers. “They are essential in any media landscape,” he said, “yet they face limitations simply because of their gender.”
He said that despite the dangers, journalists continue to report, often turning to hybrid and digital platforms to bypass Taliban controls. “They give voice to the silenced, often at great risk to themselves and their families,” Bennett said.
In his latest report to the UN Human Rights Council, Bennett called on the Taliban to cease its crackdown on dissent and to protect journalists, civil society members, academics, and political activists from harassment, torture, and arbitrary detention.
He also urged the international community not to turn away, calling for increased support for Afghan journalists in exile and renewed pressure on the Taliban to respect basic human rights.
“To Afghan journalists and media workers, your work matters. You are the guardians of truth and accountability,” he said. “The world sees your courage, and we stand with you.”
“A free press is not a threat to power,” he added. “It is a safeguard against tyranny. Without press freedom, there is no truth. Without truth, no justice. And without justice, no peace.”
