RASC News Agency: The Afghanistan Journalists Center reports that the Taliban have enforced a suspension of local television broadcasting in Badghis province, following a directive from local officials that prohibits the airing of live images of living beings. In a statement released on Wednesday, October 23, the Afghanistan Journalists Center explained that media operations in Badghis have been restricted to audio and written formats only. The Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture issued the ban through a WhatsApp group to media professionals, citing its basis in the Taliban’s “Amr bil Maroof wa Nahi Anil Munkar” (Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) code.
The new policy instructs media outlets to replace live images with visuals of signs, buildings, and landscapes related to the news. As a result of this decree, the local office of Afghanistan National Television and the private channel “Oboor” ceased their activities, with the latter completely shutting down. This restriction has also impacted online radio stations and freelance journalists, who are now compelled to comply with the order. The Afghanistan Journalists Center condemned this move, describing it as a “deeply regressive action,” and voiced serious concerns about the further curtailment of media freedom in the region. The ban, the center added, has exacerbated limitations on the press, leading to the closure of television stations.
The Taliban have extended this prohibition beyond Badghis to provinces like Kandahar and Takhar, and senior officials have obstructed video recordings during visits to Khost and Laghman. Under the Taliban’s “Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law, airing images of living beings is explicitly forbidden, with the group indicating that the implementation of this directive will be expanded gradually across Afghanistan.
