KABUL — Press freedom in Afghanistan faced intensified suppression over the past year, with violations against journalists and media outlets increasing by 24% compared to the previous year, according to a new report by the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC).
The report, released Sunday on the eve of Afghanistan’s National Journalists’ Day, documented at least 172 incidents of press freedom violations in the past 12 months, including 50 journalist arrests and the closure of 22 media outlets due to new restrictions imposed by the Taliban government.
The AFJC report highlights a deepening crackdown on the media, driven by an unclear and divided Taliban media policy.
While some Taliban officials—particularly within the Ministry of Information and Culture—argue that the former Republic-era media law should still be implemented with slight modifications, a more hardline faction within the Taliban leadership rejects media laws entirely, pushing instead for strict ideological control through extra-legal directives, the report says.
The report says that the implementation of the Taliban’s new “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” (PVPV) law in 2023 has granted religious police (hisbah) sweeping authority to regulate media content. These forces, often working alongside the Taliban’s intelligence agency, now dictate what journalists can report and take direct action against those who do not comply. Meanwhile, the Media Complaints Commission within the Ministry of Information and Culture has been sidelined or aligned with the more conservative elements of the Taliban regime.
The AFJC documented at least five new Taliban directives issued to media outlets in the past year, further tightening restrictions on content.
According to the report, these directives include a ban on broadcasting live political and economic discussions, a ban on publishing challenging or critical programs about Taliban laws and policies. a requirement to seek Taliban approval for all program guests before airing interviews, a mandate forcing media outlets to refer to Taliban casualties as “martyrs” in their reports, and a prohibition on broadcasting images of living beings, which has been enforced in at least six provinces.
Prior to these latest restrictions, the Taliban had already issued 17 directives since their return to power in August 2021, significantly curbing press freedom. The report indicates that journalists and media outlets that ignored these rules faced threats, arrests, or suspension.
In the past year alone, at least 50 journalists and media workers were arrested, according to the AFJC report. While most were released after short detentions, 10 remain in prison, and four have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from two to three years.
Additionally, 22 media outlets were forced to cease operations, either temporarily or permanently, due to Taliban-imposed restrictions. Of those, 15 remain shut down as of the report’s publication.
Despite the grim picture, the report notes one positive development: Unlike previous years, no journalists were targeted in violent attacks in 2023. This marks a shift from previous periods when reporters were frequently subjected to bombings and assassinations.
However, AFJC warns that the Taliban’s tightening grip on the press threatens to eliminate independent journalism altogether in Afghanistan. The increasing use of religious policing, arbitrary detentions, and extra-legal media restrictions underscores the severe risks faced by journalists operating under the Taliban regime.
With press freedom shrinking and a growing number of Afghan reporters fleeing the country, the AFJC calls on the international community to push for greater media protections and hold the Taliban accountable for ongoing violations of journalists’ rights.
