RASC News Agency: Local sources in Nimroz province report that Habibullah Elham, the Taliban’s Director of Information and Culture, has called on media outlets and journalists to actively promote adherence to the orders of Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group’s elusive leader. Sources confirmed on Sunday, December 29, that Elham made these remarks during a meeting with media professionals. He stated that implementing Mullah Hibatullah’s decrees is “obligatory” for all citizens, akin to other Islamic commandments, and warned that defiance constitutes both a “crime and sin.”
Elham underscored the media’s critical role in disseminating the leader’s recent directives, adding that journalists must raise awareness among the public about preventing human trafficking in line with “Islamic and Sharia principles.” The Taliban official further stressed that media outlets must acknowledge their responsibilities and work to encourage compliance with the group’s decrees. Despite their deep-seated mistrust of the press, the Taliban have consistently sought to exploit media platforms as propaganda tools.
Since their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have systematically curtailed freedom of expression, permitting only content that aligns with their interests while criminalizing dissenting voices. Over the past three years, the group has detained, tortured, and imprisoned hundreds of journalists, silencing independent reporting and stripping Afghanistani citizens of their fundamental rights under a regime marked by oppression and authoritarianism.
