Two years into the Taliban’s control of Afghanistan, the country remains marked by detentions, violence, suppression of journalists, and severe media censorship. Various media advocacy groups, voicing their concerns through statements, highlight ongoing detentions and stringent constraints on media and journalists. They assert that editors and journalists in Afghanistan must adhere to Taliban directives “to survive.” According to these organizations, the Taliban’s media directives enable the oppression and harassment of journalists, along with curtailing journalistic activities. Recently published statistics reveal that in just the past week, the Taliban detained and imprisoned a minimum of five journalists across three provinces. Nevertheless, some journalists attribute these actions to the Taliban’s bid to “cloak their tyranny and despotism” over the Afghan populace.
On Friday, August 11, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) released a statement, indicating that the wave of journalist detentions in Afghanistan is further undermining the dwindling freedom of the remaining media outlets. The federation continues to express concern over the arrests of some journalists by the Taliban in the provinces of Kunduz, Nangarhar, and Paktia. According to reports, in the past week, Habibullah Saraab, a television journalist at Ariana TV in Paktia province, Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai, the head of Radio Kelid in Nangarhar province, and Jan Aaqa Saleh, a journalist for the same outlet, along with Haseebullah Hassas, a local journalist for Radio Salam Watandar in the province of Kunduz, have all been detained by the Taliban. Sayed Wahdatullah Abadali, a journalist from Bakhtar News Agency under Taliban control, has also been in their custody for a week. Mortaza Behboudi, an Afghan-French journalist, and Aminullah Alami, the founder, and owner of the local radio “Momtaz” in Faryab province, are among the imprisoned journalists.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), citing Tim Dawson, its deputy general secretary, has stated that over the past two years, the independence of the Afghan media has been systematically undermined, with media outlets being held hostage. According to him, these detentions have instilled fear among journalists and demonstrate how limited the remaining freedom is for independent media in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, some journalists attribute the Taliban’s actions to “concealing the tyranny and despotism” of this group over the people of Afghanistan.
Abdullah Walizada, a journalist in Afghanistan, stated: “Unfortunately, the current situation in Afghanistan is such that there is no capacity for accepting criticism, free expression, and constructive criticism. The ruling group in Afghanistan, considering itself the ultimate authority and somewhat divine messengers on earth, believes it is immune from any mistakes; hence, it doesn’t grant reporters the relative permission to speak the truth.” He added, “Because the Taliban’s rule is unacceptable to the people and the global community, to hide their shortcomings, gaps, and oppression, members of this group resort to detaining journalists and using violence.”
Ahmad Nawid Kawish, another journalist, said that the Taliban do not have the “tolerance” for producing independent and unbiased reports about the current situation in Afghanistan. According to him, the Taliban forces confessions through coercion from imprisoned journalists and subjects them to severe torture.
However, both journalists and journalist advocacy organizations are demanding the swift release of detained journalists.
Violence, Suppression, Severe Censorship, and Unemployment Among Journalists
Reporters sans frontières (RSF), in a published report regarding the situation of journalists and media outlets in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s reoccupation of the country, states that the media in the nation has faced devastation over the past two years. The report highlights the Taliban’s restrictions against media and states that editors and journalists in Afghanistan under Taliban control must adhere to their directives “if they wish to stay alive.”
The organization asserts that the Taliban’s directives towards the media pave the way for oppression, harassment of journalists, and restriction of journalistic activities. According to the report, over the course of the past two years, at least eight thousand Afghan journalists have left their country and profession. The RSF declaration states: “After August 15, 2021, more than 80% of female journalists in Afghanistan left their profession, and out of nearly 12,000 male and female journalists who were working in the country in 2021, over two-thirds of them have abandoned their profession. Media outlets have faced devastation over the past two years.”
Reporters sans frontières, based on statistics from the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA), has stated that out of 150 television channels, 70 are currently active, while among 307 radio stations, 170 have broadcasting capabilities. Furthermore, among the 31 news agencies, 18 are still operational.
On the other hand, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), in a report titled “Two Years Of Repression: Mapping Taliban Violence Targeting Civilians in Afghanistan,” has asserted that media organizations must combat arbitrary detentions and censorship by the Taliban. The organization added that following the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, the media landscape has undergone a dramatic shift, with 50% of media outlets being blocked. The report states that journalists under Taliban rule have faced significant physical threats. According to this report, over 70 cases of violence against journalists and media personnel have been recorded from the fall of Kabul until June of this year, of which more than 83% were carried out by the Taliban.
It’s worth noting that over the two years of their rule in Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions on media. According to monitoring organizations, this group has detained and tortured several journalists. A considerable number of journalists have left Afghanistan over the past two years due to the shrinking space for journalism.
