RASC News Agency: The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has reported that the Taliban have yet to reopen the offices of Begum Radio and Youth Radio in Kabul, despite official claims suggesting otherwise. On Sunday, February 23, the AFJC stated that two detained employees of Begum Radio also remain in custody, contradicting an earlier announcement by the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture that both stations had been permitted to resume operations under the group’s media policies.
The ministry claimed that the management of the two stations had pledged to comply with Taliban regulations and uphold journalistic principles, committing to avoid any violations. While the AFJC welcomed the decision to allow the stations to resume broadcasting, it strongly condemned the enforcement of conditions beyond Afghanistan’s media laws and the continued detention of journalists. On February 5, the Taliban shut down Begum Radio, accusing it of misusing its broadcast license and producing content for a foreign-based television network.
A day later, the station reported that Taliban intelligence forces, accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Information and Culture, raided its Kabul office, arresting two male employees and seizing computers, hard drives, documents, and the mobile phones of female journalists. Begum Radio primarily focuses on women’s issues, broadcasting educational programs for teenagers, young adults, and girls. The majority of its staff members are women.
