Taliban police officers, archive image. Source: AFP
September 8, 2026 — Khost: The Taliban's Department for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Khost province detained 12 journalists covering a three-day book exhibition on Monday and confiscated their cameras, in enforcement of the ban on images of living beings. The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) condemns the detention and calls on the de facto authorities to immediately return the journalists' equipment.
A local source, speaking to AFJC on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the incident occurred at around 9:30 a.m. in District 2 of Khost city, where journalists were filming and conducting interviews. Muhtasibs [morality police] obstructed their work and, in a humiliating manner, marched them on foot for about 10 minutes along a crowded road to the department's office — some walking in front and others behind — while bystanders watched.
A local journalist told AFJC the journalists were covering the exhibition at the invitation of the de facto Department of Information and Culture. Despite the invitation, the morality police detained them for an hour, recorded their personal details, seized their cameras, and ordered them to leave.
The de facto governor's office was informed, but four hours after the incident the equipment had still not been returned, the journalist said.
The detention comes amid the Taliban's ban on publication images of living beings, imposed in August 2024 and now enforced in 25 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. While the ban has not been formally communicated to media in Khost, local journalists and outlets have reported repeated informal pressure to comply.
"Detaining journalists and seizing their equipment while they are covering a public event is a degrading and inhumane act that violates their human dignity and professional rights," AFJC said, calling on the de facto authorities to end such mistreatment and allow journalists to work freely without fear of detention.