Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s Media Silenced Under Four Years of Taliban Rule, Press Freedom on Brink of Collapse

Afghanistan’s Media Silenced Under Four Years of Taliban Rule, Press Freedom on Brink of Collapse
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Four years into the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the country’s media landscape faces an unprecedented crisis, with press freedom described as being on the verge of extinction, Shia Waves Persian revealed.

Reports from Agence France-Presse and the Afghanistan Journalists Center reveal that more than 230 media outlets have shut down since 2021, leaving thousands of journalists unemployed — particularly women, who have been disproportionately forced out of the profession.

The Taliban has issued sweeping directives banning independent reporting and imposing harsh restrictions on news coverage. Journalists risk arrest and imprisonment on charges such as “propaganda against the government” or “failure to observe hijab rules.” As a result, widespread self-censorship has taken hold, with critical or investigative reporting virtually eliminated.

Human rights organizations warn that this systematic suppression has severely weakened Afghanistan’s already fragile media sector. Analysts argue that the Taliban’s one-voice policy seeks not only to silence dissent but also to erase independent and realistic portrayals of Afghan society.

Experts caution that if this trajectory continues, Afghanistan could face the complete dismantling of its media infrastructure, destroying one of the country’s most important tools for public awareness and accountability.

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