RASC News Agency: The Afghanistan Journalists Center has reported that in the past year, the Taliban have shut down 22 media outlets and detained at least 50 journalists, intensifying their crackdown on press freedom. In its annual report, published on Sunday, March 16, the center highlighted that media suppression under Taliban rule has escalated, with violations against journalists and media organizations increasing by 24% compared to the previous year. The report underscores that the Taliban’s enforcement of their Amr bil Maruf wa Nahi anil Munkar (Virtue and Vicel) law has placed severe restrictions on journalism, endangering media freedom across the country. The implementation of this law has led to widespread censorship, effectively silencing independent reporting.
Over the past 12 months, the Taliban have imposed at least five major directives aimed at further tightening their control over the media. These include:
A ban on broadcasting images of living beings, Prohibition of political programs, Restrictions on hosting political and economic analysts. Media outlets operating in Afghanistan are now required to conform strictly to Taliban-imposed editorial policies. The Afghanistan Journalists Center stated: “In 2024, at least 172 cases of media rights violations were recorded, including 122 incidents of threats and intimidation, as well as the arrest of at least 50 journalists and media workers.”
The report further confirms that Taliban forces have subjected journalists to threats, torture, and arbitrary detention, with some facing prison sentences ranging from two to ten years. Since reclaiming power, the Taliban have systematically dismantled Afghanistan’s independent media landscape, replacing it with a tightly controlled propaganda apparatus that suppresses dissent and censors free expression.
