RASC News Agency: The Associated Press has reported, citing several Afghanistani journalists, that the Taliban have been detaining journalists in the same prison cells as ISIS members. According to this report, the journalists placed in these cells are often those who have covered ISIS attacks in the country or written about the Taliban’s discrimination against women.
Furthermore, the report highlights that under Taliban rule, journalists in Afghanistan face increasing “violence and humiliation,” with only 5,100 journalists, including 560 women, still active in the profession. The Associated Press notes that when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the country had 8,400 journalists, of whom 1,700 were women.
One journalist, who spoke to the Associated Press anonymously from Afghanistan, stated: “No other profession has been humiliated to this extent.” He further added that he and his colleagues no longer wish to continue their work, as the Taliban impose new restrictions on their activities every day.
Since returning to power, the Taliban have enforced severe censorship and restrictions on media operations, banning the presence, voices, and appearances of women in local media outlets in several provinces. Most recently, the Taliban have ordered media organizations to cease live broadcasting of political programs, instructing them to remove any words, statements, or content that contradict their interests before airing any shows.
