By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi January 21, 2022 The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan had already left free speech and media freedoms out in the cold. A recent spate of mysterious attacks on activists and journalists has raised fears that the worst may be yet to come. The situation took an alarming turn last week with
8am: The intelligence department of the Taliban acting government has said that the media outlets should not spread false news and baseless rumors. The remarks came after reports of persecution and detention of female protesters in Kabul by the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 13, 2022 Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Taliban’s return to power following the complete withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces from Afghanistan in August has aggravated the humanitarian and economic situation in the war-torn country amid an abrupt deterioration of human rights. “The Taliban victory propelled Afghanistan from humanitarian crisis
8am: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reported today that 45 journalists and media workers were killed in 2021 while on duty in 20 countries. The highest death toll was in Afghanistan, according to the (IFJ) report. Click here to read more (external link).
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi December 27, 2021 Aref Nouri, the head of Afghanistan’s private Nourin television network, has been arrested by the Taliban authorities for unspecified reasons. Nouri’s son, Roman Nouri, told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi on December 27 that Taliban security forces arrived at the family’s home in Kabul the day earlier and took his father
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty December 20, 2021 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August has had a “dramatic” impact on the country’s media, with more than four out of every 10 media outlets having disappeared and 60 percent of journalists and other media workers no longer being able to work.
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi December 14, 2021 The United Nations says the first four months of Taliban rule in Afghanistan have been marked by “credible allegations” of more than 100 extrajudicial killings, the denial of women’s rights, and the recruitment of boys to be soldiers. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on December
Aamaj: The Hezb-e-Islami leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, in his Friday’s sermon stated that the media are trying to defame the Taliban by broadcasting terrible, trite, and anti-Islam programs. Click here to read more (external link).
HRW: Taliban intelligence officials have made death threats against journalists who have criticized Taliban officials and have required journalists to submit all reports for approval before publication. New guidelines from the Vice and Virtue Ministry dictate the dress of female journalists on television and prohibit soap operas and entertainment programs featuring female actors. Click here
By Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty November 22, 2021 Afghan university professor Faizullah Jalal has appeared in debates on Afghanistan’s most popular television channels for years, earning a reputation as an outspoken critic of the country’s leaders. But there are fears that Jalal’s most recent media appearance, during which he lambasted the new Taliban regime,