Name: Saeed
Region: Badakhshan province
My name is Saeed, a journalist from Badakhshan province. I graduated in 2019 (1398 in the Afghan calendar) with a degree in Journalism from Badakhshan University. While studying, I also worked as a reporter at a local radio station in Badakhshan. For nearly four years, I served as the news director at that station. After completing my tenure there, I moved to Kabul to pursue further education and professional opportunities. In Kabul, I worked as a reporter for a national TV station.
Reporting has always come with its challenges, but during the Republic era, access to sources and officials was relatively easy, which made our work more effective. However, since the Taliban’s return, the imposition of severe restrictions has made journalism increasingly difficult.
After the Taliban takeover, I returned to Badakhshan and began working as a reporter. The restrictions imposed on the media in Afghanistan have had a profoundly negative impact on our work and have significantly limited our ability to operate freely.
The Taliban have arrested and suppressed many journalists since coming to power, making journalism a highly risky profession. Most recently, they issued a new directive banning the broadcasting or publication of images of living beings in Badakhshan. Just two days ago, a meeting was held at the provincial governor’s office with local journalists, where we were explicitly instructed not to publish or broadcast any images of living beings. Media outlets were warned not to use such images in their programming.
In Takhar province, the Taliban have also prohibited government employees and officials from speaking to the media. They have instructed that no images of government staff be included in news reports. In Badakhshan, the restriction is even broader—no images of any living beings are to be published at all.
These restrictions are being enforced at a time when the rest of the world is advancing rapidly in digital technology. In my view, such decrees are unprecedented globally—if they exist anywhere, it is only in Afghanistan. As a journalist, I struggle to understand how to interpret these directives. Perhaps even the Taliban themselves will eventually reconsider such policies.
In an age defined by information and technology, being prohibited from displaying images of living beings in the media is a stark example of the Taliban’s approach to journalism.
