The Taliban has introduced 21 media directives that have severely restricted press freedom.
This statement was originally published on afjc.media on 23 September 2024.
The Taliban government, during a meeting with the managers of several media outlets in Kabul, informed them of new instructions that prohibit live broadcasting of political programs and criticize Taliban laws and policies. Additionally, media outlets cannot invite individuals for their programs who have not been approved by the Taliban government. The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC), expressing great concern over these new directives, views their implementation as yet another attempt to weaken and suppress free media.
On Saturday, September 21, representatives of media outlets in Kabul were invited to the Ministry of Information and Culture, where they attended a meeting lasting about an hour in which they were informed of eight articles outlined in the new directive. According to the AFJC, three of these articles (1, 2, and 5) announce the new restrictions, stating that media outlets are obliged to implement them:
- Programs (discussions) should be recorded and should not be broadcast live.
- Experts must be invited according to the new list; inviting those whose names are not included in this list is forbidden.
- To invite someone whose name is not on the list, permission must be obtained from the Directorate of Media Supervision (Ministry of Information and Culture).
- Every morning, the list of programs and guests for political debates must be shared with the Directorate of Media Supervision, and action should only be taken to implement the program after receiving approval.
- Challenging the laws, policies, and decisions of the Taliban government and criticizing Taliban officials without proof is prohibited.
- The media manager, media outlet, program host, and editor of pre-recorded programs are obliged to remove weak points, sensitive topics, and criticisms of the “Islamic Emirate” (Taliban government) and its officials.
- In cases of violations of the above points, the media head, publication manager, program host, editor, and political expert (guest of the program) will be considered violators and will face consequences according to the principles.
- Media violations will be compensated in media form.
AFJC has obtained the list referenced in this directive, which includes 68 individuals. Media representatives, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution from the Taliban, informed AFJC that the content of the directives was communicated verbally to the media in Kabul just one day prior to this meeting, with explicit instructions to comply.
These instructions follow the recent Virtue and Vice laws enforced last month, which impose restrictions on the publication of media content, including a ban on images of living beings. According to AFJC’s findings, the Taliban has introduced and implemented at least 21 media directives that have severely restricted media freedom in Afghanistan since they seized power in August 2021.
AFJC expressing deep concern over the newly issued instructions affecting independent media outlets in Afghanistan, considers their implementation as another attempt to further weaken and suppress free media in the country. AFJC urges Taliban officials to refrain from imposing media guidelines that suppress free expression and to allow the country’s media law, which has been deemed executable, to be implemented.
