Afghanistan International: The BBC has reported that the Taliban is monitoring Kabul’s residents using 90,000 CCTV cameras, marking a significant expansion of its surveillance network. The BBC stated that it is the first international media outlet allowed access to the Taliban’s control centre. Khalid Zadran, the Taliban’s police spokesperson in Kabul, confirmed the scale of
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat has instructed journalists in the province to refrain from photographing the group’s officials during both official and unofficial meetings. This latest directive follows similar restrictions previously enforced in other provinces across Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
By Farangis Najibullah and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi November 2, 2024 Barna’s working day begins early in the morning, hours before she enters her office at a private media outlet in Kabul’s trendy Karte-e Char area. Barna, a 26-year-old Afghan reporter whose name has been changed for security reasons, says she carefully chooses stories to pitch to
Amu: A new survey by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), alongside U.N. Women and the International Organization for Migration, warns that the Taliban’s “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law empowers officials to apply repressive measures that extend beyond targeting women, creating a mechanism for broader social control. The report further
Amu: Professors at Herat University report that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has issued strict orders prohibiting them from shaving their beards and mandating daily attendance at congregational prayers. According to faculty members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Taliban officials warned during a recent meeting that
Afghanistan International: Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue, in his recent visits to the provinces, has emphasised on the strict implementation of the Law on the Promotion of Virtue. Informed sources said that the main purpose of these trips was to enforce the ban on photography and filming. Hanafi called on
By Abubakar Siddique and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi October 22, 2024 The Taliban’s repressive policies and extremist interpretation of Islam has turned Afghanistan into a pariah state. In 2021, Afghanistan became the only country in the world to ban teenage girls from going to school. Now, the country has become the first to outlaw any depictions of
8am: Access to information is a fundamental human right, allowing citizens to participate in decision-making and social activities. However, under Taliban rule, access to information in Afghanistan has been severely restricted by the group’s repressive policies. The media landscape in the country has never been more constrained, and journalists report that the Taliban’s restrictions and
“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” – Jim Morrison Michael Hughes: The Taliban movement began implementing yet another round of antediluvian measures for the sole purpose of ensuring its grip on power, this time a ban on airing or publishing images of “living beings.” It is of course important to underscore that most of
Afghanistan International: Sources in Takhar told Afghanistan International that the Taliban has instructed journalists in the province that they are no longer allowed to film and photograph. According to sources, this order was recently issued by the Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue in Takhar. Click here to read more (external link).