Farah province's National Television has switched to an audio-only format due to a ban on publishing images of living beings
March 6, 2025
Farah – In a significant change to media operations in Farah province, the National Television branch has ceased its broadcasts due to a ban on airing images of living beings. This decision makes Farah the seventh province to officially impose such restrictions on local media, although the ban has been partially lifted in some other provinces.
A local source in Farah province, speaking on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, informed the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) that increasing pressure from the de facto Department of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has led to the enforcement of this ban. As a result, the National Radio and Television Department of Farah province has transitioned into a solely audio-based platform, eliminating visual programming altogether. Current broadcasts now exclusively feature reports in audio format, supplemented by images of inanimate objects or structures in online content.
A local journalist highlighted that, while independent journalists and private media have not been officially subjected to this ban, many local officials are reluctant to participate in video interviews, further stifling media freedom.
Despite these challenges, six private local radio stations continue to operate in the province, including Nawa-e-Zan, Faryad, Orooj, Taalim ul-Islam, Israa, and Dony-e-Naw Radio and Television.
The Law of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which came into effect on August 21, 2024, imposes new constraints on personal and social liberties. Article 17 of this law specifically tasks the Muhtasibin (morality police) with overseeing the prohibition of images depicting living beings.
AFJC's findings indicate that six months after the law's enactment, Farah has joined six other provinces in imposing this restrictive measure. Previously, such bans were officially enforced in Kandahar, Takhar, Badghis, Helmand, Nangarhar, and Nuristan. However, recent surveys by AFJC suggest that restrictions on the publication of living images and video interviews have been somewhat relaxed in some of these provinces.
In Kandahar, Takhar, Badghis, and Helmand, national television remains inactive. In Nuristan, where there is no provincial branch of national television, the ban continues to be enforced. Conversely, in Takhar, while the intensity of restrictions has diminished, national television has only resumed operations in cyberspace, with the Department of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice still denying its reactivation. In Nangarhar, the previously imposed restrictions have been lifted, allowing for the resumption of national television broadcasts.
AFJC expresses profound concern regarding the ban on broadcasting images of living beings in Farah province and the resultant transformation of the National Television into a radio-only platform. This development is seen as a blatant indication of the prevailing climate of suppression and censorship of information by de facto authorities in the region.
We urge the de facto authorities to uphold the principles of freedom of expression and the fundamental rights of journalists and media outlets. AFJC calls for the immediate lifting of this ban and all other unlawful restrictions, in accordance with Afghanistan's media law, to facilitate access to information and support a vibrant media landscape.