UNAMA: Freedom of expression and access to information in Afghanistan on brink of collapse

KABUL: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has stated in its latest report titled “Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan: April to June 2025” that extensive restrictions on access to information have halted public discourse and severely reduced media content. The report notes that Article 17 of the Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice mandates officials to prevent the dissemination of content deemed contrary to Islamic law or containing images of living beings. Furthermore, according to a directive issued on June 29, political analysts are required to comply with Sharia law and possess identification cards from the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture. A committee has also been established to oversee the political content in the media. UNAMA added that in May, the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue expanded its oversight of social media, resulting in the arrest of five individuals for allegedly sharing “inappropriate” videos. The Taliban have also imposed restrictions on poetry gatherings, further limiting freedom of expression. According to UNAMA, economic challenges and the cessation of foreign aid have tightened the environment for private media, with a significant reduction in workforce potentially leading to the closure of several outlets. Many media activists report that access to information in Afghanistan has effectively come to a halt, rendering produced media content ineffective. Organizations supporting journalists have expressed concerns over the rising arrests of reporters, stringent directives, and the closure of independent media. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists have warned that this trend is silencing independent journalism. The Afghanistan Journalists Center has also reported the arrest of at least 15 journalists in July.