September 28, 2025
Kabul — On the occasion of World Information Access Day, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) expresses deep concern about the ongoing erosion of the right to information in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
UNESCO designated 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information in 2015, highlighting two core aspects: enshrining the right in law to prevent restrictions, and ensuring practical access to information for all, including through modern technologies.
AFJC’s monitoring shows that since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, at least 22 directives have severely curtailed freedom of expression, media independence, and public access to information, contrary to Afghanistan’s media law, the Right to Information Law, and international norms.
Samia Valizadeh, Head of AFJC’s Advocacy Department, stated: “Today, Afghans are living under an information blackout not because of conflict alone, but due to deliberate policies governing information. The de facto authorities have silenced journalists, blocked access to public data, and deprived the public of the right to be informed — a right recognized by Afghan law and underscored by international norms.”
Valizadeh added: “Information is a right, not a privilege. It is the cornerstone of accountability and transparency. Afghans deserve a country where facts are not banned and journalists are not silenced.”
Key developments and restrictions observed
- Prohibition on coverage of protests, demonstrations, and political opposition.
- Pre-publication content controls and widespread censorship, including bans on exile media and broadcasting programs from international networks.
- Restrictions on women’s voices and participation, including bans on women journalists in national media and limits on women’s involvement in drama or reporting in mixed environments.
- Expansion of bans on broadcasting images of living beings or video interviews to 21 provinces, contributing to the closure of dozens TV channels.
- Disruptions to internet access, including fiber-optic shutdowns and other severe restrictions on access to information.
Threats to journalists and media freedom
AFJC has documented numerous cases of journalists being arrested, harassed, or silenced for attempting to gather or publish information of public interest. In many instances, even collaboration with exile-affiliated media has resulted in threats or imprisonment. Presently, at least six journalists are imprisoned in Kabul, Ghazni, and Parwan.
Call to action on World Information Access Day
AFJC, in coordination with international organizations advocating for media freedom, calls on Taliban authorities to:
1) Repeal directives and regulations that violate the Letter and spirit of Afghanistan’s media law and the Right to Information Law.
2) End the system of media surveillance, censorship, intimidation, and threats. Suspend restrictions imposed by the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and halt arrests and prosecutions of journalists for pursuing information in the public interest.
3) Revoke restrictions on fiber-optic internet and any measures that reduce public access to information.
4) Ensure safe, unrestricted access to information for journalists and the public; promote an enabling environment for independent media.
5) Seek and accept constructive engagement with international partners to support independent media and at-risk journalists in Afghanistan.