Journalist support organisations marked World Radio Day by raising concern over increasing Taliban restrictions on media in Afghanistan, as the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture urged broadcasters to comply with its policies.
Khabib Ghufran, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, said on Friday, February 13, that 228 radio stations were currently operating across Afghanistan. He added that the Taliban had issued licences to 40 stations over the past four years.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center said in a statement that during the same period the Taliban had imposed at least 24 decrees and directives restricting media activity, including measures that directly affect radio broadcasting.
According to the organisation, the restrictions include banning women from working in state media, enforcing gender segregation in workplaces, prohibiting interviews between men and women, imposing dress codes for female journalists and limiting women’s participation in press conferences.
The group said Taliban authorities had repeatedly detained and imprisoned media managers and journalists for failing to comply with the regulations, adding that at least two local women-run radio stations had been threatened over the past year.
The Afghan Journalists Support Organization also said journalists and media outlets in Afghanistan face serious challenges in providing information, noting that pressure on reporters and restrictions on media activity have made professional reporting difficult and limited public access to information.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Free Journalists Union expressed concern about the future of radio broadcasting in the country, saying nearly 3,000 people currently work in radio stations nationwide.
The union added that more than half of radio employees do not receive regular monthly salaries, raising concerns about the sustainability of radio operations in Afghanistan.
