The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Taliban to immediately lift its restrictive ban on political and economic broadcasts by Afghan media outlets. The Taliban’s prohibition, which mandates prior approval from authorities for any political or economic content, has sparked widespread concern about the growing suppression of press freedom in Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has seen a marked decline in media freedoms, with independent journalism increasingly stifled. The CPJ’s demand reflects broader international criticism regarding the regime’s treatment of journalists. These restrictions severely limit the ability of Afghan media to report on critical issues, including government policies and economic conditions, both essential for a well-informed public.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has documented a significant decline in media freedoms, while human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported increased harassment, detentions, and abuse of journalists attempting to cover sensitive topics. These actions are part of a wider pattern of the Taliban’s clampdown on freedom of expression and the media landscape in Afghanistan.
International law protects the right to freely share information, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which Afghanistan is committed to. The ongoing media censorship under Taliban rule is a direct violation of these international obligations.
The CPJ, along with other global human rights organizations, continues to advocate for a reversal of these measures, calling on the international community to push the Taliban to restore the rights to free speech and free press in Afghanistan. The case underscores the broader global concern about the erosion of democratic values and civil liberties in the country.
Taliban fighters in Kabul Picture by VOA on Wikipedia: CC-PD-Mark
