Taliban Leader’s Downsizing Order Sparks Internal Backlash, Say Sources

According to the ministry, the aim of these gatherings was to promote Islamic values, enforce religious principles, and foster cooperation with the media in accordance with Sharia law.

Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, the ministry’s spokesperson, made the remarks in a media statement on Saturday, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day. He emphasised that media organisations are expected to align their operations with Islamic guidelines and collaborate with the Taliban to implement Sharia.

Khyber added that the meetings took place across several provinces, focusing on ensuring the media’s adherence to religious standards and enhancing mutual cooperation. He stated that the ministry offers full support to media outlets that operate within the boundaries of Islamic principles.

Despite these claims, the Ministry of the Propagation of Virtue has been widely criticised for its role in suppressing media freedom in Afghanistan. Under the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law, displaying images of living beings in the media has effectively been banned. This regulation has led to the suspension of visual media operations in several provinces.

Furthermore, restrictions have been imposed on the broadcasting of live programmes, and reports indicate that the ministry has interfered directly in newsroom operations in the capital, Kabul.

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the Afghanistan Journalists Centre released a report highlighting a 58 percent increase in violations against media freedom over the past year. Since May 2024, the centre has recorded 215 incidents, including 175 cases of direct and indirect threats and 40 cases of journalist detentions.

Amnesty International has also condemned the Taliban for their continued crackdown on freedom of expression, citing arbitrary arrests, torture of journalists, and ongoing media restrictions.

In a report published on Saturday, Hengaw stated that the identities of 118 of those executed have been independently verified. Among the executed were five religious activists and three political prisoners. The report also noted that four women were executed on various charges.

Of the total executions, only three were officially announced through Iranian state media or judiciary-affiliated websites. Additionally, seven executions were reportedly carried out in secret, without prior notification to the prisoners’ families or granting them a final visit.

According to Hengaw, 58 of those executed were convicted of drug-related offences, 47 for murder, five for religious activities, three for political activities, and four for other crimes, including rape, sodomy, and armed robbery.

The sharp rise in executions has sparked renewed concern among international human rights organisations over the lack of transparency and due process in Iran’s judicial system.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the court confirmed that the flogging was carried out in the presence of local officials, court staff, security personnel, and members of the public.

Over the past three months, at least 213 individuals including 169 men and 44 women have reportedly been subjected to flogging by the Taliban authorities.

On Thursday, a group of United Nations human rights experts issued a statement calling on the Taliban to immediately cease all forms of inhuman punishment in Afghanistan, including public executions and floggings.

The Taliban have defended such practices as part of the enforcement of “Islamic Sharia,” and have urged international organisations to refrain from interfering in what they describe as domestic judicial matters.

In a statement issued on Saturday to mark World Press Freedom Day, the human rights organisation stated that the Taliban have placed Afghanistan among the world’s worst countries in terms of press freedom.

Since the Taliban’s return to power, numerous media outlets have been forced to suspend operations for criticising the group’s policies, according to Amnesty. The organisation reported that the banning of political television programmes, restrictions on analysts and journalists working with exiled media, the arbitrary detention of journalists, and the silencing of independent voices have all contributed to Afghanistan’s plummeting ranking in global press freedom indices.

Amnesty also criticised the Taliban’s enforcement of the so-called vice and virtue laws, including a ban on broadcasting images of “living beings,” which has severely curtailed media production and freedom of expression.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, and several international organisations echoed these concerns, condemning the Taliban’s repression of media workers. UNAMA reported that journalists and media professionals face threats, arbitrary detention, and torture, warning that such restrictions combined with the country’s deepening economic crisis are depriving the Afghan public of access to critical information.

According to the commission, 2405 individuals were expelled from Pakistan, while 1208 were deported from Iran.

Of those returned, 1150 people were subsequently relocated to various provinces, including Ghazni, Baghlan, Takhar, Kunduz, Balkh, Jowzjan, Logar, Paktia, and Paktika.

The Taliban further stated that these migrants collectively received 4,511000 Afghanis in humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported that approximately 145,000 Afghan migrants were deported from Pakistan throughout April. The IFRC described the condition of many returnees as dire, highlighting growing concerns over their wellbeing and resettlement.