Nai in Exile, a media support organization, said there is no freedom of expression in Afghanistan and that domestic media outlets have effectively been reduced to “mouthpieces” under Taliban rule.
In a statement marking World Press Freedom Day, the organization said journalists and media workers inside Afghanistan are operating under extreme pressure and are compelled to justify Taliban activities.
The group said that “fake news” has taken a central place in news coverage and that reporting reflecting the daily realities of Afghanistan’s population is largely absent.
Nai in Exile said media outlets are unable to report on issues such as alleged abuses or military operations in provinces including Nangarhar, Kunar, Panjshir, Balkh and Kapisa, while giving prominent coverage to Taliban leadership activities.
The statement also said that journalists are forced to use honorific titles when referring to Taliban leaders and officials and face restrictions on how they can report or even name authorities.
According to the organization, both low-level Taliban members and officials can exert pressure on journalists or subject them to questioning and punishment.
Nai in Exile said World Press Freedom Day, once widely observed in Afghanistan, has lost its significance under Taliban rule.
While expressing respect for journalists still working inside the country, the group said many are no longer able to practice independent journalism and are instead working under severe constraints.
The organization urged the international community to pay closer attention to the situation in Afghanistan and warned against what it described as misleading portrayals presented by the Taliban.
It also said that since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have detained hundreds of journalists and media workers and used violence and other forms of mistreatment against them, without accountability.
Taliban have not publicly responded to the statement.
World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3 by the United Nations and UNESCO, highlights the importance of press freedom, the protection of journalists and governments’ obligations to uphold freedom of expression.
The day also serves to assess global press freedom conditions and honor journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Press freedom has sharply declined in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power, with media watchdogs reporting widespread censorship and restrictions.
According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center, at least 150 violations of press freedom were recorded over the past year.
At least four journalists — Bashir Hatef, Shakib Nazari, Hamid Farhadi and Abuzar Sarem — remain in Taliban custody, according to advocacy groups.
