The Center for Journalists reported the registration of 181 cases of violations of media freedom by the Taliban

Bayan News – The Center for Journalists in Afghanistan published its report on Tuesday (August 13) to mark the third anniversary of the collapse of the republican system and the Taliban’s return to power.

According to the published report, this organization has documented 181 cases of violations of media freedom and journalists over the past three years, including 133 cases of threats and 48 cases of detention.

The report states that among the detained journalists, two are still in Taliban custody.

The Center for Journalists in Afghanistan also noted that the Taliban’s restrictions on the free operation of media and journalists have continued, and during their third year in power, they issued three new restrictive orders against media and journalists.

According to this center, the prohibitions include media refraining from using “foreign terms,” the ban on photographing and recording official and unofficial meetings of Taliban officials in Kandahar, and the prohibition of telephone contact between girls and radios and television stations, which are orders issued by the Taliban in the past year.

The Center for Journalists of Afghanistan stated that the Taliban’s stance towards the media in the third year of their rule was not uniform; while some officials spoke about implementing the previous government’s media laws, “it has been observed that a strongly conservative and traditional religious mindset regarding freedom of expression and free media prevails.”

The report from the Center for Journalists of Afghanistan indicates that in the third year of Taliban rule, the economic problems facing media continue due to a reduction in commercial advertisements, a lack of supportive projects, and increased tax pressure from the Taliban.

This center also mentioned that this year saw the continuation of journalists and media staff leaving Afghanistan, with many journalists migrating to Western countries, Iran, and Pakistan.

According to statistics from the Center for Journalists of Afghanistan, the Taliban issued 14 restrictive guidelines against media and journalists in the first two years of their rule over Afghanistan.

These guidelines encompass a wide range of media-related issues, including the obligation for female presenters to wear black masks and the prohibition of broadcasting music and referring to the Taliban group as the government of Afghanistan.

UN Deputy Secretary-General: Doha conference does not mean recognition of the Taliban