RASC News Agency: Afghanistani journalists in exile have disclosed that during the Taliban’s 1,200 days of renewed rule, 300 journalists and media workers were detained, each enduring “extreme and often indescribable violence” while in custody. In their statement, these journalists noted that only 200 of the detained individuals have permitted their names and accounts to be made public. The statement further reveals that during this period, 17 journalists and media workers were either killed or died under “mysterious circumstances,” both inside and outside Afghanistan. Additionally, 28 others sustained injuries.
According to the exiled journalists, the Taliban’s rule has resulted in the shutdown of 250 out of the 536 active media outlets that once operated in Afghanistan. Simultaneously, approximately 50 new media organizations have emerged, functioning under the Taliban’s direct influence. These journalists have highlighted that the Taliban has issued approximately 12 decrees and directives during their tenure, all aimed at curbing media freedoms. Chief among these is the infamous “Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil” edict, which, they state, “has eradicated independent media entirely and hammered the final nail into the coffin of freedom of expression.”
The statement also underscores the mass exodus of journalists and media professionals following the Taliban’s return to power. Out of an estimated 12,000 journalists and media workers, only 4,500 have managed to continue their professional activities. Those who could not resume their work have either been compelled to take up alternative livelihoods or leave the country altogether. Although precise statistics remain elusive, the statement estimates that over 1,500 journalists and media workers have sought refuge in Europe or North America. Meanwhile, 3,000 others remain stranded in countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, India, and Central Asia, awaiting the resolution of their immigration cases.
