The Taliban have issued a new directive that formally prohibits Afghan media from criticising the regime’s policies, further tightening restrictions on freedom of expression and press activity in the country.
The directive, issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, requires media outlets to obtain prior permission to record or broadcast political programmes and to seek approval for analysts invited to participate in such content. A copy of the four-page memorandum, titled “Policy for Holding Political Programmes (Roundtables) in Afghanistan,” has been obtained by Afghanistan International.
According to the document, all political programmes must be submitted to the ministry before airing, and participating analysts must be vetted and issued an official identification card by the Taliban. The ministry has instructed that all political content must align with the policies of the the Taliban and has warned that any programme perceived to undermine the government, “national unity,” or “Islamic values” could result in severe penalties, including the revocation of broadcasting licences.
Media outlets have also been directed to criticise Taliban officials only “in respectful language and within the framework of the law,” a clause widely seen as another tool to suppress dissent.
The directive marks a significant escalation in the Taliban’s efforts to control the flow of information in Afghanistan since their return to power in August 2021. Under Taliban rule, media freedom has sharply declined, with numerous outlets forced to shut down and thousands of journalists either fleeing the country or facing imprisonment.
According to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Afghanistan now ranks 175th out of 180 countries, with a score of just 17.88. The organisation reports that 141 journalists have been arrested or imprisoned since the Taliban’s return, with many subjected to intimidation, beatings, and torture, primarily at the hands of Taliban intelligence services.
One journalist told RSF that he believed he would die in custody, describing how Taliban forces tortured him “for their own amusement.”
Criticism of the Taliban’s leadership or policies has consistently been met with harsh retaliation. Observers say this latest media policy represents a systematic attempt to eliminate political discourse and silence dissenting voices in Afghan media.
In addition to editorial restrictions, the Taliban have also imposed content bans under their “Promotion of Virtue” law. In some provinces, including Kandahar and Takhar, the broadcasting of images of living beings has been banned, forcing visual media outlets to effectively operate as radio stations.
