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May 25, 2025 – Afghanistan –
Amid a deepening crackdown on press freedom in Afghanistan, a group of women’s rights activists has launched the “Journalism Is Not a Crime” campaign. Led by the Afghanistan Women’s Protest Movements Coalition, the initiative calls for the immediate release of detained journalists and urges international attention to the Taliban’s escalating repression of the media.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, journalists across Afghanistan have faced widespread intimidation, detention, and violence. A recent United Nations report highlights 336 cases of harassment against media professionals, including 256 arbitrary detentions and at least 130 instances of torture or mistreatment. Journalists are often arrested without formal charges, denied legal support, and subjected to harsh conditions while in custody. Another 75 media workers reported receiving threats directly tied to their work.
The situation is especially dire for women journalists. With Taliban-imposed bans severely limiting women’s participation in public life, many have been forced out of journalism altogether. Those who persist face unique dangers, both for their reporting and simply for being women in the workforce. As a result, the female presence in Afghanistan’s media landscape has nearly vanished.
In this climate of fear and suppression, the “Journalism Is Not a Crime” campaign stands as a defiant act of resistance. The campaign emphasizes that silencing journalists is equivalent to silencing society itself. Its organizers argue that detaining journalists not only violates human rights but also suppresses the free flow of information and stifles public discourse at a time when truth and accountability are urgently needed.
Despite growing threats, Afghan women journalists remain determined to speak out. This campaign serves both as a demand for justice and a symbol of resilience. The coalition calls on international organizations and human rights defenders to support Afghan journalists, amplify their voices, and pressure the Taliban to respect freedom of expression.
As the regime tightens its grip, the campaign seeks to remind the world that journalism is not a crime — and that those who risk everything to report the truth deserve protection, not persecution.
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