A new report by the Afghanistan Journalists Center shows that over half of 600 media outlets, including radio and television, print and online, have ceased operations, and over 60% of journalists and media employees have been unable to work since the Taliban took power.
This statement was originally published on afjc.media on 25 August 2022.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has issued a report on the state of media freedom in Afghanistan during the first year of Taliban rule, noting a significant increase in the cases of violations of media freedom and the closure of almost half of the media outlets in the country.
The report finds a deterioration in press freedom over the past year, marked by censorship, detentions, assaults, and restrictions on media outlets, journalists, and in particular women journalists.
The report, which covers one year of Taliban rule (August 15, 2021, to August 15, 2022), underlines that a total of 245 cases of violations against media freedom in Afghanistan were carried out, including 130 cases of short-term detention of journalists, which lasted from one hour to several hours and even some months, and that often included physical violence, insults, and even the torture of journalists. Additionally, during this period, at least 80 cases of threats, 28 cases of physical harassment mostly by the Taliban security forces, and five cases of injuries by the Taliban were documented.
Meanwhile, AFJC recorded two cases of killings, including the death of Alireza Ahmadi, a reporter for Raha News Agency, and Najma Sadeqi, a former presenter for the Jahan-e-Sehat TV channel, in a deadly explosion at Kabul Airport, as people were trying to flee the country following the fall of Kabul in mid-August 2021.
The report indicates that over half of 600 media outlets, including radio and television, print and online media, have ceased operations and over 60% of journalists and media employees have not been able to work since the Taliban took power. The findings suggest that over 30% of the remaining media outlets are on the verge of collapse for various reasons, which include a significant decrease in funds for the media, the absence of media professionals, the lack of rights and business advertisements, and the increasing restrictions imposed on the media. The restrictive directives have opened the way to censorship and persecution, and largely deprive journalists of their independence. Female journalists are largely banned from state-run media outlets, and those in the private sector can appear on TV only if their faces are covered.
Media outlets need to seek permission before publishing information. With the media no longer able to broadcast music and entertainment programs, sources of advertising revenue have shrunk and many outlets ceased working.
There are fears that the current environment of apprehension could be further used to harass female journalists, many of whom have already fled the country in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover last year.
AFJC calls for press freedom to be respected in Afghanistan, as well as for an end to all forms of violation of press freedoms. It calls on the Taliban to adhere to the Afghan media laws, including the mass media and access to information laws, to ensure that press freedom is upheld, and to reinstate the joint media and government committee, which was established in 2016 to address security concerns and press freedom violations.
The AFJC calls on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan journalists and help ensure their safety and uphold media freedom, given the important role they would play in a peaceful and democratic transition during and after the peace negotiations. AFJC also urges the international community to increase its support for Afghanistan’s media, which will help press freedom and freedom of expression to be maintained.
