KABUL: Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, freedom of expression and the operation of independent media in Afghanistan have been severely restricted. Over the past four years, dozens of journalists have been killed, and hundreds more have been arrested, tortured, or forced into hiding. The number of closed media outlets and affected journalists has significantly increased. According to Reporters Without Borders, more than 231 media outlets were shut down in the first three months of Taliban rule, resulting in over 6,400 journalists and media personnel losing their jobs, nearly 80% of whom were women. In subsequent years, the figures remained high, with the Afghan Journalists Center reporting 260 incidents of violence against journalists in 2022. In 2024, the Taliban closed 11 television stations and one radio station, arresting 25 journalists. This year, Begum Radio, a station specifically for women, was shut down, and two of its staff members were arrested. Additionally, a local radio station was closed due to the laughter of one of its employees, along with the director and two other journalists. Reasons cited for the closure of media outlets and the dismissal of staff include non-compliance with hijab requirements for female journalists, the broadcasting of live animal images, and the production of content outside the Taliban’s approved framework. Currently, the broadcasting of live images is banned in 19 provinces of Afghanistan. Experts and analysts indicate that the Taliban’s one-sided policies and severe restrictions on media have led to widespread self-censorship in the sector, transforming the media landscape in Afghanistan into one of the most critical situations in the world.
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