Michael Hughes: Even if the UN successfully intervenes to persuade the Taliban to release a Franco-Afghan reporter held captive in Afghanistan for nearly fifty days, it will not change Kabul’s crackdown because the radical movement understands the power of media. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called upon the UN to take all measures possible to get
8am: In a recent order issued in Parwan, the Taliban has mandated that all media outlets must publish content that has been approved by the Bakhtar News Agency. This move is seen as an attempt to control the narrative and restrict the free flow of information in the country. The Bakhtar News Agency is presently
DPA: An Afghan journalist was released from detention on February 19 after spending five days in custody in the country’s southern province of Kandahar. Afghanistan’s Journalists Center welcomed the release of Tolonews journalist Mohammadyar Majrooh, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all other journalists still in prison. Authorities provided no reason why Majrooh
Ayaz Gul VOA News February 13, 2023 ISLAMABAD — Economic hardship and media restrictions stemming from the 2021 return to power of Afghanistan’s Taliban have reportedly forced approximately 34% of radio stations to shutter operations in the country, rendering hundreds of men and women jobless. The Afghan Independent Journalists Union (AIJU), a Kabul-based local media monitor,
Roshan Noorzai VOA News February 12, 2023 WASHINGTON — Fifteen years ago, Noorullah Stanikzai returned to his home province of Logar to open a radio station broadcasting cultural and educational programs. But the future of his station, Zinat FM, has seemed uncertain since the Taliban took power in August 2021. “I am seriously considering closing the
AP: Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) along with 14 French media outlets and production companies called on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers on February 6 to release a journalist imprisoned for a month in Kabul. In a joint statement, RSF and French media said journalist Mortaza Behbudi, who holds dual French and Afghan citizenship, was arrested
BBC News: Afghan media have faced difficulties since the Taliban took power in Kabul on 15 August 2021. Outlets have endured severe restrictions, an economic crisis and waning Western support. There is growing self-censorship and editorial appeasement of the Taliban. Freedom of expression has largely disappeared. Click here to read more (external link).
Roshan Noorzai VOA News January 19, 2023 WASHINGTON — From regulations on what can be covered to rules on where women can work, journalists say it is increasingly difficult to report in Afghanistan. Restrictions on media “increased in the past year,” said Dawood Mubarak Oglu, a reporter who covers security and politics for the independent media
Roshan Noorzai VOA News January 4, 2023 WASHINGTON — The Taliban have said that a court on Thursday is expected to issue a ruling on whether licenses should be revoked for several media outlets. Abdul Haq Hammad, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, told Voice of America the move is focused on
AFP: Nearly 1,700 journalists have been killed worldwide over the past two decades between 2003 and 2022, an average of more than 80 a year, according to an analysis published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Click here to read more (external link).