Taliban, despite imposing severe restrictions on media operations in Afghanistan, has claimed that they have “reformed” 90 percent of the content broadcasted, printed, and aired in the country.
The Taliban Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which made the claim, provided no specific details on what these “reforms” entailed.
The ministry also stated that over the past year, it has destroyed 30,000 “immoral films,” without elaborating on the nature of these films.
Taliban has significantly curtailed press freedom in Afghanistan. According to the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, Taliban has systematically restricted media freedom and access to information through 13 official directives since taking power.
The Taliban ministry has justified these actions as part of their broader mission to “reform society.”
Shortly after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the ministry issued directives to media outlets mandating that women’s appearances in the media comply with their prescribed guidelines. Female journalists and presenters were ordered to cover their faces while on screen.
The United Nations, in its recent report, identified the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice as the leading violator of human rights under Taliban rule. The report noted inconsistencies between the directives issued by Taliban officials in Kabul and the actions of the ministry’s agents in various provinces.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center’s latest report documented 181 incidents of media freedom violations in the third year of Taliban rule, including threats and arrests of journalists.
