Photo taken from the Herat National Television Channel on YouTube. October 19, 2025
October 19, 2025
Herat — The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) expresses deep concern over reports that de facto authorities have issued a directive banning the broadcasting of images of living beings in Herat. This measure has led to the closure of Herat’s national television station and at least two other local channels. Currently, Herat is the 22nd province where such restrictions have been officially enforced.
A local journalist, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, reported that the provincial branch of the national television station (RTA) has ceased operations following increased pressure from local authorities. The station has shifted its output exclusively to social media in audio and text formats. Additionally, at least two private television stations have halted their activities. Other television outlets are reportedly under similar pressure, and there is a potential risk that more may be forced to cease operations altogether or switch to radio-only broadcasting. These restrictions have also significantly impacted visual media activities of 12 radio stations in the province, as well as the provincial branch of the state-owned Bakhtar News Agency, which now faces limitations in disseminating news via social media, messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, and other digital platforms.
On September 23, 2025, the Department of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat reportedly held a meeting with local media representatives and YouTubers, during which they requested compliance with the ban on publishing images of living beings. Sources indicate that following this meeting, authorities intensified their pressure on local media outlets.
Since the initial enforcement of the ban in August 2024, similar restrictions have been imposed across 21 other provinces out of Afghanistan’s 34, including Kandahar, Takhar, Badghis, Helmand, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Farah, Nimruz, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Jowzjan, Zabul, Parwan, Kunduz, Bamyan, Daikundi, Faryab, Panjshir, Laghman, Sar-e Pol, and Balkh. These measures have led to the closure of numerous television stations or their conversion to radio formats, significantly constraining media operations nationwide.
AFJC condemns these restrictions as violations of fundamental principles of press freedom and free expression. We warn that such measures undermine the vital role of independent media and journalists in providing the public with access to accurate and timely information, especially in a context where space for free reporting remains severely limited.
AFJC calls on the de facto authorities to immediately revoke these bans and to establish a safe environment in which journalists and media outlets can operate freely and without fear. Protecting media independence is essential to upholding the rights of journalists and ensuring that the Afghan people have access to diverse, reliable sources of information.