Coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, several journalists and media workers say the restrictions imposed by the group have severely constricted the space for media activity over the past five years. They add that censorship, restricted access to information, a ban on criticism, and fear of arrest have pushed journalists into self-censorship and reduced the possibility of freely covering events.
According to them, pressure and fear of the Taliban are not confined to the workplace, and journalists cannot freely express their opinions even on their personal social media accounts. Journalists emphasize that economic hardship, alongside these restrictions, has forced many of them to continue working in the media despite the existing difficulties.
These journalists tell the Hasht-e Subh Daily that access to information and the possibility of independent reporting have been severely restricted over the past five years. They add that in many cases, journalists are compelled to publish the information the Taliban wants and cannot reflect events and objective realities as they actually occurred.
According to them, the continuation of this situation has led some journalists to feel that by publishing content favored by the Taliban, they are betraying their profession and their people. In their view, widespread censorship, restricted access to information and pressure on the media have made the flow of information in Afghanistan one-sided and in service of the Taliban narrative.
Hamza (pseudonym), one of the journalists in Afghanistan, says: “Under the republic there may have been general restrictions, for example on producing content seen as harmful to the country’s broad national interests. But now there are restrictions in every area, even filming city scenes for a social report. Under the republic, there was a very wide scope for criticism, and we saw the media doing this, but at this time that possibility has fallen to almost zero.”
He adds that the restrictions are not limited to media content alone, and that journalists’ access to information has also become more difficult. According to Hamza, under current conditions, Taliban spokesmen have become the most important official source of information for journalists.
Abdullah (pseudonym), another journalist from the country, says the Taliban’s restrictions have made the media’s working environment tighter by the day and have reduced access to timely information and the possibility of independent reporting. According to him, fear of security consequences has led journalists to cover many events in line with the censorship the Taliban wants.
Abdullah says: “Unfortunately, the media are becoming more restricted under Taliban rule with each passing day. Access to timely information and timely reporting is largely not possible, and almost everything must be covered in its censored form. If the truth is published, the journalist faces many problems, especially arrest and detention. Even the outlet concerned is not allowed to publish news of the arrest or detention of its own employee.”
According to him, this situation has not only damaged the credibility of the media but has also increased fear of arrest and security action among journalists.
Shah Mahmood (pseudonym), a journalist who worked during both the republic and under Taliban rule in Afghanistan and was forced to leave the country because of Taliban restrictions, says the most important difference between the two periods is the decline in media freedom and the rise in security concerns for journalists.
According to him, after the Taliban’s return to power, subjects such as human rights, women’s rights, public protests and the performance of governing institutions have effectively become forbidden areas, and journalists have been forced into self-censorship to protect their own safety.
Shah Mahmood says: “During the republic, despite the problems, corruption, security threats and pressure from certain institutions and powerful individuals, the media enjoyed relative freedom, and journalists could report on many subjects. But after the Taliban’s return, sweeping restrictions were imposed on the media, censorship increased, and journalists were forced to weigh the security consequences of every report before publishing it.” He adds that security pressures and concern over the consequences of his professional work also played a role in his decision to leave Afghanistan.
This journalist says: “Leaving Afghanistan was not a choice for me, but a necessity to preserve my life and continue living. Given my professional background and the reports I had produced in previous years, I felt that my personal safety and that of my family were seriously at risk. If I had stayed in Afghanistan, I would not have been able to continue independent, professional work, and the likelihood of arrest or other security consequences was very high.”
Meanwhile, several media organizations and press freedom advocates say that over the past five years, freedom of expression and media activity in Afghanistan have faced sweeping restrictions. They add that censorship and control over media content, together with pressure on journalists, have severely restricted the space for independent reporting.
Mujib Khalwatgar, head of Nai, Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan (NAI), currently in exile, says that after 2021, media freedom and freedom of expression have effectively lost the ability to operate independently. According to him, some outlets that appear to operate independently of the Taliban are, in practice, used by the group to promote its policies and activities.
Mr. Khalwatgar says: “When we talk about media freedom and freedom of expression, I think these two core values no longer exist in Afghanistan. After 2021, free media and freedom of expression were unable to find a place. The institutions we call non-Taliban do not appear to operate under Taliban management, but the Taliban use them as a mouthpiece for their own policies and activities. Taliban ideology and belief do not tolerate anything called media freedom.”
He adds that the Taliban even monitor media content both before and after publication, and that this process has prevented the media from addressing many of society’s realities.
According to Khalwatgar, the Taliban are trying to use the media to create the impression that they have changed compared to their first period of rule, but in his view, the presence of television stations and privately run outlets does not amount to media freedom. In his view, the Taliban use these outlets to showcase their own activities, while many important events and bitter realities of society go uncovered.
Khalwatgar says: “Content passes through Taliban review before it is published, and even afterward, and this itself shows that freedom of expression has lost its true nature. Afghanistan’s media will cover the cleaning of a canal, but when blood is spilled in several provinces, these same outlets do not dare report it. Of about two thousand women who used to work in the media, fewer than a hundred are now formally engaged in this field, and many journalists have also left the country.”
Following the Taliban’s return to power on August 15, 2021, media activity in Afghanistan faced sweeping restrictions. Press freedom organizations say the imposition of restrictions on media content, access to information, criticism of the government, and the work of female journalists has severely weakened media independence.
Nai, in exile, said on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Taliban rule that Afghanistan has become “a large prison” for freedom of expression and the media. The organization added that over the past five years, six journalists have been killed in Afghanistan, and the Taliban and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) have been identified as involved in these incidents.
According to Nai, the Taliban have issued more than 20 decrees at the national level and a large number of directives at the provincial level to restrict media freedom.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also says restrictions on the media in Afghanistan are increasing, and that criticism of the Taliban, political discussions, and the publication of images of living beings have faced prohibition or restriction. According to the organization, a body of Taliban decrees, directives,s and written and verbal orders has increasingly restricted independent media activity in Afghanistan.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
