Afghan Taliban’s latest crackdown on media, four journalists arrested, two TV channels closed

In the latest Taliban crackdown on Afghan media, four journalists have been arrested and two TV channels have been shut down.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for the release of four radio journalists and the reopening of two “critical” privately-owned TV channels amid recent Taliban restrictions on media freedom in Afghanistan over the past few weeks. Have been victims.

The latest victims include three radio journalists in Khost province who were arrested on April 22 for broadcasting music and receiving calls from female listeners during the broadcast.

On April 6, Taliban intelligence arrested a radio reporter in Ghazni province for his reporting. His phone was confiscated, its contents inspected and on April 16, two private TV channels, Noor TV and Baria TV, were shut down for not respecting ‘national and Islamic values’.

RSF says that these punitive decisions are the latest episodes in the Taliban’s unbridled ban on the media. The authorities continue to target journalists, particularly those working for foreign media, who are accused of defaming the Taliban regime and are subjected to arbitrary detention and all kinds of restrictions.

At the same time, their censorship of privately owned TV news channels aims to eliminate any reporting that is not under government control, Reporters Without Borders said.

RSF has demanded the immediate release of the four detained radio journalists and appealed to the authorities to lift the suspension of Noor TV and Baria TV channels.