Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The Taliban has enforced a strict media ban in three Afghan provinces, prohibiting the broadcast of any images of living beings. The new mandate applies to state-run and local media outlets in Takhar, Kandahar, and Maidan Wardak, and is part of the Taliban’s broader morality law.
According to Saiful Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, this rule will be rolled out nationwide. He stated the Taliban’s position that depicting living beings is contrary to Islamic law.
Journalism and civil liberty groups have condemned the move, expressing concerns about the severe impact on press freedom and journalists’ mental health. Media experts warn that the restrictions could stifle reporting on human rights, particularly in a country already struggling under the weight of press censorship since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
The U.N. and rights groups have expressed alarm over the law, calling it a blow to personal freedom and a tool to suppress dissent. Women’s rights activists fear that the ban will silence voices critical of the regime, as Afghan women already face extensive repression under Taliban rule.
This latest order adds to a growing list of measures aimed at controlling the media and limiting freedom of expression in Afghanistan, echoing the oppressive restrictions of the Taliban’s previous regime from 1996 to 2001.
