KABUL, Afghanistan — Radio Begum, a Kabul-based station focused on women’s empowerment and education, confirmed on Wednesday that it had been forced to halt operations following a Taliban raid in which two of its employees were arrested.
According to the station, Taliban intelligence officials, accompanied by staff from the Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture, stormed its office on Tuesday, February 4, questioning employees and seizing equipment, including computers, hard drives, documents, and female journalists’ mobile phones. Two male staff members were taken into custody, the outlet said.
Following the raid, the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture issued a statement announcing the station’s closure for “violating media regulations,” alleging that it had committed multiple infractions, including sharing content with a foreign-based television network.
The ministry added that the station’s broadcasts had been suspended due to “misuse of its broadcasting license” and that its operations would remain halted pending a “thorough review of related documents and activities.” The Taliban claimed the decision was based on “existing evidence” regarding the station’s operations.
Radio Begum declined to comment on the Taliban’s allegations but called for the immediate release of its employees.
“As long as our colleagues remain in detention, we will not issue any statements regarding the situation due to concerns for their safety,” the station said. “However, we officially urge the authorities of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) to release them as soon as possible.”
Radio Begum, a station dedicated to women’s empowerment and education, was founded on March 8, 2021, by entrepreneur and journalist Hamida Aman. Operating under the Begum Organization for Women (BOW)—established in December 2020—the station broadcasts 24/7 from Kabul, reaching approximately three-quarters of Afghanistan.
Its programming included educational courses for middle and high school students, particularly aimed at girls who have been barred from formal education since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. These lessons were broadcast in Dari in the morning and Pashto in the afternoon, Afghanistan’s two official languages.
In March 2024, BOW expanded its educational initiatives by launching Begum TV, a Paris-based satellite channel funded in part by the Malala Fund. The channel provides video courses covering Afghanistan’s national curriculum for grades 7–12, offering an alternative for girls unable to attend school under the Taliban’s restrictions.
The station’s management has yet to publicly respond to the suspension.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on the press, severely limiting independent journalism in Afghanistan. Many media outlets have been shut down, and journalists—particularly women—face censorship, harassment, and arrests.
Rights groups have repeatedly called on the Taliban to respect press freedom, warning that growing media restrictions are further isolating Afghanistan from the global community.
