RASC News Agency: The Taliban have imposed a sweeping prohibition on the broadcast of political content by Afghanistan’s private media, warning that any outlet defying this directive will be held accountable and face severe repercussions. According to sources, on Thursday, February 13, the Taliban formally instructed media organizations to cease airing political programs immediately. The directive is said to remain in effect indefinitely. The Taliban’s latest decree underscores their increasingly repressive control over Afghanistan’s media landscape, effectively silencing any form of political discourse. Private media outlets were already operating under severe restrictions, with journalists forced to comply with Taliban-enforced editorial policies that suppress independent reporting.
The group has announced a forthcoming meeting between Taliban officials and media representatives scheduled for Saturday, but the extent and duration of the ban remain unclear. Since their return to power, the Taliban have systematically dismantled press freedoms, instituting widespread censorship, shuttering independent media organizations, detaining journalists, and exerting total control over news coverage. On Wednesday, the Taliban asserted that only media outlets aligning with their policies would receive official backing, a statement widely seen as an attempt to further consolidate their dominance over Afghanistan’s information flow.
Over the past three years, the Taliban have escalated their crackdown on independent journalism. In its latest report, the United Nations accused the Taliban of systematically intimidating, arresting, and suppressing journalists, effectively eroding the last remnants of press freedom in Afghanistan.
