Officials and journalists attend a Taliban press conference at the de facto Government Media and Information Center in Kabul. October 12, 2025. © AP Photo
August 13, 2023
Kabul — The Afghanistan Journalists Center has documented more than 100 violations of media and journalist freedoms during the fifth year of Taliban governance, highlighting the ongoing crackdown on press freedom that has turned Afghanistan into a prison of information; where censorship, threats, and arbitrary arrests continue to silence independent voices.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the media environment in Afghanistan has been severely restricted. Today, AFJC published its findings on the state of media freedom during the fifth year of Taliban rule (August 15, 2025 – August 15, 2026), revealing that the crisis of media freedom in the country has deepened, with the de facto authorities striving to close even the smallest openings for free expression and independent journalism, exemplified by the growing arsenal of repressive measures against journalism.
AFJC has documented at least 102 cases of media freedom violations over the past 12 months, nearly half of the 190 incidents reported during the fourth year of Taliban rule. Despite the decline in total cases, the severity of repression remains unchanged, with increased pressures and restrictions on media outlets.
Since August of last year, AFJC has documented the detention of 15 journalists and media workers. Three journalists and media activists, not included in this figure, have been imprisoned for over a year and are serving their sentences.
Based on these findings, at least 29 media outlets and journalistic entities have been shut down amid bans on publishing images of living beings across multiple provinces or had their licenses revoked during this period due to violations of the de facto authorities’ media policies.
Key highlights from the AFJC findings on the fifth year of Taliban rule:
- Official announcement of a ban on publication of images of living beings in five additional provinces, including Balkh, Herat, Paktia, Oruzgan, and Kapisa — since this ban was introduced in 2024, it has been officially announced in 25 out of 34 provinces nationwide.
- Expansion of the ban on visual reporting and video interviews across roughly half of the approximately 40 de facto departments and agencies, alongside the enforcement of restrictions on smartphone use by de facto government employees, further limits journalists’ access to information.
- Increased control over media content — media outlets are forced to avoid interviewing individuals not approved by the de facto authorities and are compelled to broadcast messages and propaganda from the de facto authorities. At least five media outlets have ceased operations due to restrictions imposed by the de facto General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) and the morality police, particularly regarding coverage of political, security, and social events, as well as programs with music backgrounds.
- Restrictions on female journalists increased, with pressure on media outlets to limit women’s voices and content. Women journalists have been censored during press conferences, and their participation in some programs and events has been blocked. Additionally, at least two local radio stations closed after allowing women to participate via phone during live shows.
- Publication of forced confessions of detained journalists — for the first time, the de facto GDI, in cooperation with the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, publicly released forced video confessions of three detained journalists and media activists.
- Public release of forced confessions: For the first time, the de facto GDI, in coordination with the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, publicly released video confessions of three detained journalists and media activists.
- Internet shutdowns and restrictions on telecommunications services — although temporary and lasting only two days, these measures caused significant disruptions for the public and had a severe impact on media operations and journalists.
- New Code of Criminal Procedure: Enacted one year after the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law, this vague criminal code grants judges broad authority, including severe penalties. While not explicitly targeting media, it exposes journalists to legal threats and imprisonment. Combined with expanded morality police powers over behavior, dress, and detention, it increases risk for all citizens and particularly for women journalists.
- Addition of a new repressive force — while the de facto Ministry of Information and Culture, traditionally responsible for media and journalists, has been marginalized within the de facto government structure, the Ministry of Justice, along with the GDI and the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, has become a new repressive force. In the latest incident, this ministry closed a private television station, confiscated its assets, and imprisoned two of its staff members.
In light of the ongoing and escalating crackdown on media and journalist freedoms in Afghanistan, AFJC calls upon the international community and global media advocacy organizations to hold the de facto Taliban authorities accountable for their systematic repression. The persistent arrests, closures of media outlets, bans on visual reporting, and forced confessions highlight the urgent need to prioritize the safety, independence, and rights of Afghan journalists.
We urge targeted political, financial, and technical support to sustain independent journalism and to ensure robust protections for those at risk. The world must act decisively to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a prison of information, where silenced voices undermine accountability, human rights, and the right to free expression.