Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Taliban to lift broadcast ban on political and economic content
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Taliban to revoke its prohibition on the airing of political and economic programs by local Afghan media outlets, Jurist News reported. This ban, established recently, mandates that all live and recorded discussions on these topics receive prior approval from Taliban officials before being broadcast. The CPJ argues that this restriction exemplifies a broader trend of heightened media censorship under Taliban control, severely limiting press freedoms in Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has reported a significant decline in media freedoms. Human Rights Watch has documented multiple instances of journalists facing harassment, detention, and physical abuse for covering sensitive issues. Amnesty International has also highlighted the arbitrary detention of journalists and the closure of numerous media outlets as part of a comprehensive crackdown on freedom of expression.
International law, including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guarantees the right to seek and share information. The Taliban’s media censorship has drawn widespread global condemnation, raising concerns about the erosion of civil rights and democratic values in Afghanistan. The CPJ and various human rights organizations stress the urgent need for international intervention to ensure the Taliban adheres to human rights standards.
In 2024 alone, Reporters Without Borders reported the closure of at least 12 media outlets, including the Kabul-based Arezo TV, further exacerbating fears about the future of press freedom in the country. The Taliban’s stringent restrictions and detentions of media personnel highlight the critical situation facing journalists in Afghanistan today.
