KABUL — On World Press Freedom Day, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, called for urgent protections for journalists and the restoration of media freedoms amid growing restrictions and economic hardship under Taliban rule.
In a statement released Saturday, UNAMA said Afghanistan’s media landscape is facing a steady erosion of independence, as both official censorship and financial collapse have forced many outlets to close and silenced critical voices across the country.
“World Press Freedom Day stands as a crucial reminder of the essential role journalists and media play in Afghanistan,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative in Afghanistan. “They are the foundation of an informed and vibrant society, and their role must be protected.”
Otunbayeva described a bleak media environment, noting that Taliban’s de facto authorities have imposed “significant restrictions” on the press, with journalists facing arbitrary detention, harassment, and in some cases torture. Women journalists, she said, are disproportionately affected by these threats.
“A diverse and healthy media sector is indispensable in ensuring transparency, public trust, and good governance,” she added. “But in Afghanistan we are seeing the steady erosion of a free and independent media.”
The UN also flagged the broader impact of Afghanistan’s deepening economic crisis, which has triggered a sharp drop in advertising and revenue across the media industry, pushing many independent outlets to the brink of collapse.
Patricia McPhillips, UNESCO’s representative in Afghanistan, added that the rapid rise of artificial intelligence poses a new set of challenges for press freedom globally — and Afghanistan is no exception.
“AI presents significant risks: it can be misused to reproduce misinformation, spread disinformation, amplify hate speech, enable new forms of censorship and surveillance of journalists and citizens, creating a chilling effect on freedom of expression,” McPhillips said.
The UN called on Taliban to end restrictions on media professionals and urged the international community to support the country’s embattled media sector.
