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August 8, 2025 – Afghanistan –
Afghanistan’s media landscape continues to deteriorate under Taliban rule, with increasing censorship, arbitrary detentions, and systematic repression of journalists, particularly those working independently or in exile.
According to 8 Am. Media, censorship has all but eliminated freedom of expression. Female journalists face the dual burden of general restrictions plus gender-based constraints. Several have been detained in provinces like Takhar and Ghazni over critical social media posts or collaboration with foreign media, their whereabouts largely unknown. Journalists also report that official sources now only supply information serving Taliban interests, suppressing reporting on human rights, security, and other sensitive topics.
A UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report documents 336 instances of violence against journalists between August 2021 and September 2024, including 256 detentions, 130 cases of torture or ill-treatment, and 75 threats or intimidation. Arbitrary arrests and broad, vaguely defined media restrictions have created a pervasive atmosphere of fear and self-censorship.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) highlights the dramatic erosion of press freedom. In 2024 alone, at least 12 media outlets were shut down—including both public and private stations. Seven staff from Arezo TV were detained in one of the most recent crackdowns, as Taliban authorities target content considered “transgressive,” such as political commentary, music, and depictions of living beings. The assault on press freedom continues into mid-2025: since 22 July, at least four media professionals were arrested in Kabul, one coerced into a staged confession on charges of “moral corruption.” RSF calls for their immediate release and the return of their equipment.
As the Taliban tighten their grip on information, independent and especially female journalists in Afghanistan operate under increasing peril. With outlets shuttered, voices silenced, and constant threats of detention, the media’s ability to function as a free, critical pillar of society is vanishing before our eyes.
References –
https://8am.media/eng/a-cry-in-silence-how-taliban-censorship-and-arrests-threaten-journalists/
