Afghanistan: press freedom at its lowest point as Taliban closed 12 media outlets in less than a year
In 2024, the Taliban have closed at least 12 media outlets, both public and private. Seven employees of Arezo TV, the latest station to be silenced, are currently detained in Kabul. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the authorities to release these journalists immediately and condemns these unacceptable closures.
Music, fiction, depictions of living creatures and news commentary on the Taliban’s politics are all content considered “transgressive” by the authorities which has led to the closure of at least 12 media outlets — both public and private — in seven Afghan provinces this year. Eleven television stations and one radio station have been forced to completely cease their activities, while three radio stations were closed temporarily before they were allowed to resume operations on the condition that they agreed to stop broadcasting music.
Arezo TV in Kabul is the latest victim of this crackdown: its offices were targeted on 4 December in a raid conducted by agents from the General Intelligence Directorate (GDI), the Taliban’s intelligence service, who were accompanied by a representative of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. “They arrived with a list of employees,” says a witness who wished to remain anonymous, “they insulted and mistreated the staff, confiscated mobile phones, 60 hard disks and three computers.” The channel was accused of having links with exiled Afghan media outlets and broadcasting soap operas deemed “contrary to Islamic values”. The premises were sealed and seven employees, including Kabul bureau chief Amanullah Azimi and presenter Khalid Barakzai, were arrested and detained in Pul-e-Charkhi prison. The case will be presented to a Kabul primary court by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
"The ideological hardening of the Taliban in recent months has accelerated repression and increased threats against media outlets in Afghanistan. The proliferation of bans on images of living beings in certain provinces, in particular, has led to a series of closures of television stations. But outlets based in the capital have not been spared, as illustrated by the brutal raid on Arezo TV in the centre of Kabul. RSF demands the immediate release of Arezo TV’s employees and calls for the unconditional reopening of all silenced media outlets, so they can continue their mission of informing the people in complete freedom.
Forbidden images
This oppressive climate is exacerbated by proliferating bans. In October, the authorities announced that they would implement a new law on the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, signed at the end of July by the Taliban’s supreme leader. Among other things, the law bans the broadcasting of any image depicting living beings. Seven television stations had to suspend their operations as a result of subsequent local directives in multiple provinces: Kandahar province in August, then Helmand, Takhar and Badghis. A similar ban was announced in Nangarhar province, but it is only being applied to the local branch of Afghan’s national television station, RTA.
In Badghis province, the privately-owned Oboor is the only television channel still partially open, and only broadcasts one hour of programming per week. It is also not allowed to publish images of living creatures on its Facebook page, produce programmes outdoors or conduct interviews with local authorities.
Silence on the airwaves
The situation is just as difficult for radio stations in the Khost region, in the south-east of the country. Three radio stations were temporarily closed in October and November for violating the ban on broadcasting music and phone calls from women, a new restriction announced in February. In April, in the eastern province of Laghman, the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) closed a private radio station on the grounds that it was “government property”.
A political crackdown
Also in April, two private television channels linked to political figures were closed down: Noor TV and Barya TV, accused of not respecting “national and Islamic values”. Noor TV was criticised for broadcasting music and for the fact that female staff did not cover their faces. Launched in 2007, the channel is backed by Salahuddin Rabbani, former foreign minister and leader of the Jamiat-e-Islami party. Launched in 2019, Barya TV was sanctioned for broadcasting comments by its owner, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, warlord and leader of the Hezb-e-Islami party, on relations between the Taliban and the United States.
Since the Taliban's return to power, sealed by the capture of Kabul on 15 August 2021, at least 141 journalists have been arrested or detained. Since 1 January 2024, 25 journalists have been arrested or detained, a quarter of them for their links with media in exile.
