Several journalists from Afghanistan who are now living in exile say that access to information from inside the country has become one of their biggest challenges in reporting the news. They add that with the Taliban’s growing restrictions on the media and users of social networks, access to information for exiled media outlets is becoming increasingly difficult. These journalists emphasize that the lack of accurate and timely information has created serious obstacles in preparing news reports and carrying out their daily work. According to them, many sources inside the country refuse to provide information out of fear of arrest or persecution by the Taliban.
Some of these journalists told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that if exiled media outlets were not active, many cases of repression, human rights violations, and Taliban atrocities would never receive media coverage. They believe that although the Internet has turned the world into a “global village” and made communication with local sources possible, Taliban restrictions have made access to information far more difficult.
Hussain Roustapour, one of the exiled journalists, says that gathering information from sources inside Afghanistan has become one of the most difficult tasks for journalists in exile since the Taliban came to power. He adds that the Taliban consider free media their ideological enemy and have not only severely censored domestic outlets but also spread fear among the public to such an extent that citizens no longer dare to cooperate with independent media.
Roustapour says, “In many cases, we have spoken with people who have been directly attacked or whose families have faced violence, but they do not dare to share details. They only say in one sentence that something happened, but when we try to learn more, they fall silent.”
Arzo Ghafoori, another exiled journalist, says it is extremely difficult for her to obtain credible information from sources inside Afghanistan. She believes, collecting information and reporting from inside the country is very dangerous both for journalists and for their sources under the Taliban regime. She adds, “Reporting from exile is always accompanied by threats and pressure from the Taliban. These threats are often directed through our families or take the form of intimidation and arrests. Some of us have even been afraid to return to Afghanistan.”
Omid Pouya, another journalist working in exile, says that gathering information from inside Afghanistan has become increasingly difficult because domestic sources are under Taliban pressure and suppression. He adds that independent media, despite all these challenges, still strive to inform the international community about the real situation in Afghanistan. According to him, these efforts prevent the people of Afghanistan from being forgotten by the world.
The journalist says, “The challenges of accessing information through the Internet began when Afghanistan fell into a black hole on August 15, 2021. Many journalists were forced to flee, but transferring information from inside the country to the outside world remains extremely difficult. The international community has also accepted the reality that Afghanistan is no longer under the free coverage of truth on the global stage.”
Fereshta Khorshid, another journalist collaborating with exiled media outlets, says that under the current circumstances, reporting for journalists in exile is no less dangerous than going to a battlefield. She emphasizes that verifying sources and gathering information from inside Afghanistan face serious challenges. According to her, most local sources, out of fear of arrest or harassment by the Taliban, refuse to provide details.
Khorshid adds, “Access to information has become extremely difficult. In some cases, we even give up covering a story. For instance, for a report that requires interviews with four people, we message eight, because perhaps only one or two will respond.”
Despite the increase in the number of Afghan media outlets operating abroad over the past four years, access to information from within the country remains one of the most serious and persistent challenges for journalists.
Some media support organizations say that the Taliban have not only restricted access to information but have also used threats, arrests, torture, and intimidation to exert severe pressure on journalists and their sources. This situation has effectively eliminated the space for independent media activity and forced journalists either into self-censorship or exile.
Mujeeb Khalwatgar, head of the organization NAI in Exile, says that under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has experienced the worst regression in access to information. He emphasizes that the right to access information practically does not exist in Afghanistan, and the Taliban only share information that aligns with their interests and official narrative.
Khalwatgar adds, “In my view, the right to access information in Afghanistan does not exist at all. The Taliban manage and release only what they want. Independent institutions and journalists do not have access to real and vital information. We are witnessing the complete shutdown of the free flow of information in the country.”
Hamid Pezhman, head of Radio Ava-e-Hindu Kush in Exile, says that media outlets outside Afghanistan face a lack of resources and numerous challenges in producing accurate reports. He also notes that maintaining neutrality in the current situation is very difficult, and journalists are forced to choose between silence and criticism.
Pezhman adds, “Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, only answers questions that have been provided to him in advance and avoids challenging ones. He cooperates only with well-known media outlets affiliated with international networks and cannot respond comprehensively across all areas, which itself poses a major challenge for media outside Afghanistan.”
Since the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan’s media environment has come under the group’s strict systematic control. Journalists face threats, intimidation, arrest, torture, and censorship, and media outlets are allowed to publish only content that aligns with Taliban ideology and policies.
According to available data, in the first year of the Taliban’s rule, at least 231 out of 543 active media outlets were shut down. Reporters Without Borders has also reported that during the past year, 12 television networks were closed and 181 cases of violations of media rights were recorded, including the arrest of more than 50 journalists.
A recent study by Leipzig University in Germany found that 71 percent of journalists in Afghanistan regularly engage in self-censorship, mainly to protect the lives of colleagues and family members. Moreover, 90 percent of journalists confirmed that they had refrained from publishing certain reports to safeguard their sources.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also previously reported that from the Taliban’s takeover until the end of September 2024, at least 256 journalists were arbitrarily arrested and tortured.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
قطع انترنت و تشدید سانسور؛ طالبان دسترسی به اطلاعات را دشوارتر کردند
