In the latest Global Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Afghanistan ranks 175th out of 180 countries worldwide.
According to this ranking, released today (Friday, May 2), Afghanistan scored 17.88 points and is among the bottom six countries on the list, alongside Iran, Syria, China, North Korea, and Eritrea. This comes as Afghanistan ranked even lower last year in 2024, placing 178th.
In contrast, Norway, Estonia, and the Netherlands topped the list with the highest scores for media freedom.
Reporters Without Borders stated that in 2024, at least 12 media outlets in Afghanistan were forced to shut down due to pressure and restrictions imposed by the Taliban. The organization emphasized that economic pressures, along with censorship and political threats, have further worsened the media situation in the country.
According to the report, the economic indicator within the Global Press Freedom Index is now in a critical state and has, for the first time, been classified under the “difficult situation” category.
Since the Taliban took power, Afghanistan has experienced not only direct restrictions such as censorship, arrests of journalists, and strict laws, but also an economic crisis that has led to the closure of half of the country’s media outlets.
Additionally, the implementation of the Taliban’s “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law has resulted in live images being banned in about half of the provinces, and many visual media outlets have been shut down.
Reporters Without Borders had previously identified Afghanistan as one of the deadliest countries for journalists. A country that ranked 122nd in the 2015 Press Freedom Index has now plummeted to the bottom of the list following the Taliban’s rise to power.
