Taliban recently placed new restrictions on media organizations in the country, making it illegal for them to criticize their laws and policies and forbidding the broadcast of live political events.
In a meeting on September 21, the Taliban told media managers that political show themes needed to be cleared by Taliban members beforehand. The Taliban has released new directives directing media outlets to welcome visitors solely on the group’s approval.
A list of 68 experts who have been approved by the Taliban to participate on political shows has been supplied. New criteria state that if a visitor who is not on the Taliban-approved list is scheduled to come, Taliban officials must be notified beforehand.
Since taking over in August 2021, the Taliban have persisted in placing limitations on media companies, prohibiting women from presenting their faces on television and from playing music. Even the voices of women are prohibited from airing on call-in broadcasts in certain areas. Additionally, the Taliban often imprisons media workers and journalists who they claim are working opposing “national and Islamic interests in Afghanistan.”
No Speech Freedom in Media
The Taliban have threatened to deal with the presenter, manufacturer, writer, and guests of the show “according to the rules” if any of the new orders are broken by a media outlet. The Taliban has issued 21 media orders since regaining control of Afghanistan, some of which are quite strange and intended to restrict media operations.
Because they fear being prosecuted by the Taliban, journalists operating in Afghanistan are cautious to voice their opinions. Others who managed to leave the nation, nevertheless, have taken issue with the new orders.
According to Nawid Ahmad Barakzai, an Afghan journalist residing in Pakistan, “this directive is the death of freedom of speech because it limits the freedom of the press.”
Barakzai, who worked in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s leadership before leaving the nation, stated that “media outlets in Afghanistan can no longer operate according to journalistic principles.” It is also forbidden for Afghan media outlets to cover “corruption, immorality, lawlessness, or violence by Taliban in the past as well,” he continued.
The Taliban frequently issue these instructions to media managers in person after calling them to the Ministry of Culture and Information and informing them of the new guidelines.
The primary demand of the Taliban since taking control has been the reinstating of security in Afghanistan. As a result, the organization tightly regulates the news that emerges from Afghanistan.
He clarified that information is sent to the media by Taliban intelligence services “in whatever way it benefits them.” The journalist went on to say that the questions for an interview with a Taliban official must be discussed in advance with the appropriate department by the media outlet. The interview can’t happen unless the questions are ready in a way that pleases the Taliban representatives.
