Date: 26/12/1403

The Afghanistan Journalists Center reported that the Taliban suspended the activities of 22 media outlets and arrested at least 50 journalists during 2024. In its annual report released on Sunday, March 16, the Center stated that violations against journalists and media outlets increased by 24 percent compared to the previous year.

According to the report, enforcement of the Taliban’s Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has significantly restricted media operations. Over the past 12 months, at least five new restrictive guidelines were imposed, including bans on live images, political programs, and limitations on inviting political and economic analysts.

The Center documented at least 172 incidents of media rights violations in 2024, including 122 cases of threats and at least 50 arrests of journalists and media workers. It also noted that several journalists were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to ten years. Since the Taliban’s return to power, domestic media outlets have operated under direct Taliban control and orders.

The suspension of dozens of media outlets and mass arrests of journalists in 2024 reflect an escalating, systematic campaign to dismantle independent media in Afghanistan. Through legal instruments, restrictive guidelines, arrests, and prison sentences, the Taliban have transformed journalism into a criminalized activity. This environment of coercion and fear has severely curtailed public access to information and eliminated meaningful press freedom.