The Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan has wrought significant and widespread changes, upheaving conditions across various sectors. One area of particular concern and anticipation for transformation has been press freedom. While the extent of press constraints and challenges for journalists remained uncertain, both domestic activists and international observers voiced apprehensions about the future of media and freedom of expression.
During the Doha negotiations between the Taliban and the United States, assurances were made regarding the acceptance of freedom of expression and media activities, along with pledges to refrain from harassing journalists and media activists. These assurances were part of a broader package, encompassing women’s education, fundamental rights, and adherence to international conventions, all of which were seen as indications of the Taliban’s purported shift. Advocates for engagement with the Taliban saw these commitments as evidence of evolving perspectives, especially in light of the country’s tumultuous history over the past two decades. The aim was to assuage concerns among journalists and media institutions, portraying a semblance of normalcy.
Optimism regarding the Taliban, especially in the realm of press freedom, was met with skepticism from some other analysts and commentators from the outset. Many knew and were confident that the Taliban’s resurgence would mark a dire era for media in Afghanistan, subjecting many in this field to interrogation, arrest, imprisonment, exile, and even death. What fueled this concern was primarily the Taliban’s track record with the media, especially during their initial period of governance, considered one of the darkest periods in the contemporary history of Afghanistan for the press. It was a bitter irony of Afghanistan’s twentieth century to commence with serious media activities only to end with severe media suppression. In addition to this ominous track record, the Taliban’s strategy of intimidating the populace and using fearmongering as a strategic tool to expand their authority, which began since the inception of this group and had never seen any alteration, indicated that any optimism regarding the Taliban’s accommodation with press freedom and other human rights issues was futile and naive.
Why can’t the Taliban accommodate press freedom? The answer lies in the authoritarian power-centric ideological movements. All parties and governments rooted in extremist ideologies perceive their dream realized in the form of totalitarian governance. The experience of all totalitarian regimes has shown that press freedom is a terrifying nightmare for them, hence they consider their first line of defense to be against free media. Press freedom exposes the deficiencies of these movements and systems and undermines the sanctity they carve out for themselves, casting doubt and negation upon it. For such parties and regimes, the collapse of their ideological authority and the shedding of the masks they wear signifies the beginning of their end.
The concern about press freedom is not exclusive to totalitarian currents. They can surmise that through awareness about the performance of regimes and their impact on the collective destiny, people find the opportunity to raise their voices. Free media highlights problems and emphasizes the necessity for collective action to prevent disasters. Convergence of viewpoints, initiation of dialogues, and intensification of debates pave the way towards solidarity of forces and organization of actions. When people become aware of their abilities to change their circumstances and improve their destiny, belief, and determination arise, and in such a situation, no despotic regime can withstand it. Any authoritarian and despotic regime that opts for aggressive confrontation against the universal will of the people will inevitably mark the countdown to the end of its rule.
Like any authoritarian regime, the Taliban view press freedom as a threat and perceive free media as enemies. In the two years since their governance, they have narrowed the space for the media to such an extent that the vast majority of media activists have resorted to fleeing the country and seeking refuge in distant lands. Today, a significant portion of Afghan journalists and media workers are in exile, and many of them have been forced to abandon their profession and seek opportunities elsewhere. This, in itself, is detrimental to Afghanistan, as the media, despite its shortcomings, was one of the pillars of democracy and human rights in the country. Now, this pillar has collapsed to a considerable extent.
The tragedy doesn’t end here. Those journalists and media activists who couldn’t migrate or for other reasons remained within the country face daily pressures, threats, and dangers. Media activities in the digital age have taken on a broader meaning, and the Taliban’s police surveillance of these activities has significantly increased societal anxiety to the point where many ordinary citizens, university professors, and social activists are fearful of expressing their views and opinions on social networks and sometimes face punishment. Naturally, in such circumstances, journalists and media outlets that continue their activities within the country often resort to self-censorship and refrain from addressing the country’s realities and reflecting its bitter truths. In such a closed and suppressed environment, if anyone still dares to engage in media activities, they must be prepared for the most severe risks. Journalism in such a situation is a gamble with life and a venture into danger. Documented statistics of journalist casualties and the dangers practically encountered by many of them testify to this reality. Only those who align themselves with the oppressive policies of this Taliban totalitarian rule or serve its propaganda agenda and use the media against press freedom remain safe from the Taliban’s totalitarian control.
You can read the Persian version of the Editorial note here: