The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has reported a sharp increase in pressure on female journalists and media workers by the Taliban during the first half of 2025.
In a report released yesterday — Friday, July 11 — the AFJC documented at least 140 cases of media freedom violations and abuses against journalists in Afghanistan during the first six months of this year.
According to the AFJC, local Taliban officials, citing provisions of the so-called “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law, have systematically sought to limit — and in many cases eliminate — women’s presence in the media.
The report added that the small number of media outlets still managed by women came under direct and indirect pressure from the Taliban during this period.
Several women-run media outlets reportedly received threatening letters from Taliban authorities, ordering them to cease operations. These outlets also faced deliberate obstacles in renewing their operating licenses. In some cases, Taliban officials told media managers they could only renew licenses or continue operations if they appointed a male owner or director-in-charge.
Since regaining power, the Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions on women working in media, which further intensified during the first half of 2025. In mid-March, for example, women’s voices were completely banned from broadcast media in Kandahar.
The AFJC report noted that media freedom violations during this six-month period rose by 56% compared to the same period last year.
According to the center, most of the recorded cases — about 120 — involved threats to the media itself or intimidation and harassment of media staff.
The AFJC also reported that, due to Taliban-imposed restrictions, at least 26 media outlets, including 23 local TV stations, were forced to cease operations during this time.
The report further noted that the Taliban’s ban on broadcasting images of living creatures has now expanded to 19 provinces.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center has called on the international community and global media freedom advocates to exert pressure on the Taliban to respect freedom of expression and media independence.
