The Taliban’s vice and virtue department has banned the filming of officials’ meetings and interviews in Takhar, a northern province of Afghanistan.
The new restrictions prohibit the use of video footage showing living beings, including local officials, during public appearances, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) reported.
The center reported that the decision was made on September 25 by Habibullah Hanafi, the head of the Taliban’s Vice and Virtue department in Takhar, during a provincial administrative meeting. Hanafi emphasized that the prohibition on filming aligns with a new law approved by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. Officials were warned to adhere strictly to the new regulations.
Hanafi instructed that all administrative reports from Taliban officials should now be presented solely in written or audio formats, further limiting the use of visual media.
Concerns over media freedom
Journalists and media organizations have expressed concern about how this decision will affect access to information in the region.
The ban restricts their ability to document Taliban activities and hold officials accountable through visual reporting. The AFJC warned that this could severely impact the work of reporters trying to cover events in Takhar.
One journalist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said the restriction “makes it even harder to bring transparency to governance in the region,” adding that the media already faces significant challenges under the Taliban’s rule.
Broader implications for women’s rights and freedom of expression
This latest move comes as part of a broader campaign by the Taliban to enforce strict interpretations of Islamic law across Afghanistan, which has increasingly targeted women and girls. Last month, the Taliban introduced a series of laws that impose new restrictions on women, banning them from appearing in public spaces or on broadcasts, and forbidding interactions between unrelated men and women.
Although these rules are intended to apply to the general public, many Afghan citizens have noted that Taliban officials themselves have violated their own laws by engaging in meetings with female representatives from international organizations and foreign governments. This double standard has sparked widespread frustration and confusion among Afghans.
The Taliban’s new restrictions have drawn condemnation from the international community. The United Nations has highlighted that such policies are complicating engagement with the Taliban, while the European Union has called for the immediate lifting of these sanctions.
In a coordinated effort to hold the Taliban accountable, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada recently issued a joint statement two weeks ago, announcing their intention to bring the Taliban before the International Court of Justice. The countries aim to use the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to challenge the Taliban’s violations of women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Human rights advocates warn that the ongoing repression of women and media freedoms will further isolate the Taliban rule from international legitimacy. The new law restricting women’s voices and appearances, alongside the ban on filming officials, has sparked growing concern about the future of fundamental rights in Afghanistan.
