Arezo TV resumes operations in Kabul after three-month closure

Arezo TV, a private Afghan media outlet, has resumed broadcasting in Kabul after being shut down for nearly three months, Afghan news network Amu reported. The station was forced to close on December 4 following a raid by Taliban intelligence and the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) criticized the shutdown as a violation of press freedom, stating it should not have happened. According to Arezo TV head Basir Abid, the Taliban granted approval for the station to reopen, and the office seal was removed in the presence of employees.

During the initial raid, authorities arrested seven staff members, confiscated electronic equipment, and sealed the office. The Taliban justified the closure by citing concerns over “Islamic values” and alleged misuse of the station’s resources. The detained employees were later released after signing commitments to remain in Kabul, though a court later found them innocent.