New Media Restrictions: Taliban Ban Female Journalists Without Male Guardian in Nengarhar and Images of Living Beings in Laghman
The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO) reports that the Taliban have banned female journalists in Nangarhar province from commuting to their workplaces without a male guardian. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has reported that the ban on publishing images of living beings has now been extended to Laghman province.
According to a press release by AJSO published today (Tuesday, June 3), the Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture in Nangarhar has declared that female journalists are not allowed to be present at work without a male guardian and are also prohibited from participating in live broadcasts with men. AJSO strongly condemned this decision, calling it a “clear violation of women’s fundamental rights” and a “serious blow to media freedom.”
The statement further reads: “Despite all challenges and threats, female journalists have consistently played a vital role in amplifying the voices of the people—especially women and vulnerable groups. However, the Taliban’s latest decision paves the way for their gradual elimination from the country’s media landscape.”
The organization has called on the international community, human rights organizations, and press freedom advocates not to remain silent in the face of what it described as the Taliban’s “misogynistic” decision. It urged the Taliban to stop imposing arbitrary restrictions and instead facilitate equal participation of women in the media. AJSO warned that continuing this trend will further isolate Afghanistan on the international stage.
At the same time, the Afghanistan Journalists Center announced in a separate statement that the official ban on publishing images of living beings has now been implemented in Laghman province. With this move, the number of provinces officially enforcing the ban has reached 19.
According to the statement, Mawlawi Pachagul Ahmadi, the Taliban’s Head of the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Laghman, instructed local authorities and media outlets in a meeting to refrain from publishing any photographs or images of living creatures.
The AFJC warned that continuing such bans will “severely hinder media operations” and contradict the principles of the Mass Media Law and freedom of expression. The organization urged the Taliban to reconsider the directive and to reverse recent restrictive measures in order to restore a free media environment.
