RASC News Agency: On Friday, August 9, the International Federation of Journalists condemned the suspension of 14 local media outlets in Nangarhar province. In a statement, the Federation urged the Taliban to immediately reinstate the licenses of these local media outlets in Nangarhar.
The statement emphasized that the closure of media outlets is a violation of freedom of expression and constitutes a significant misstep. Two weeks ago, the Taliban’s Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology suspended the licenses of at least 14 media outlets in Nangarhar, citing unpaid taxes as the justification.
As Afghanistan approaches the third anniversary of the fall of its previous government, the International Federation of Journalists highlighted that the country’s media landscape is confronting severe challenges. The Federation, along with its partner organizations, condemned the ongoing closure of Afghanistan media outlets and called for the reinstatement of their operational licenses.
According to the Federation’s statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology has warned these 14 media outlets that they will not be permitted to resume operations until their annual dues are fully settled. Simultaneously, the Afghanistani Journalists’ Union announced that media outlets are grappling with substantial financial challenges. The cost of renewing a license exceeds one hundred thousand kabuli rupees, and some media outlets have been unable to pay their taxes for over a decade.
Over the past three years, dozens of media outlets in Afghanistan have been shuttered due to Taliban-imposed restrictions, leaving thousands of journalists unemployed or forcing them to flee the country in fear of Taliban reprisals. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, restrictions on media have intensified, leading to the closure of numerous outlets. Freedom of speech and press freedom have been severely undermined, with all matters now subject to Taliban dictates.
