Taliban block foreign media

The cessation of broadcasting by US foreign broadcasters Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty represents another serious blow to freedom of the press in Afghanistan, which has already been severely restricted since the radical Islamic Taliban took power.

The ban applies from (today) Thursday, said VOA in Washington. A broadcasting ban was imposed on several radio frequencies. The Taliban authorities cited “complaints they had received about program content” as justification. Details were not mentioned.

The Taliban announced that Radio Free Liberty’s Afghan service, Radio Azadi, will stop broadcasting in 13 major cities in the country. The Ministry of Culture in Kabul accused the broadcaster of “non-compliance with journalistic principles” and “unilateral” reporting. In addition to political content, “Radio Azadi” also offered special programs for women and young people and was very popular in the country.

Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Kahar Balchi told the AP news agency that there are press laws in Afghanistan. Any broadcaster that repeatedly violates this will be deprived of the right to work in the country. VOA and Radio Liberty repeatedly failed to comply with the law, “did not show professionalism and were therefore closed,” the spokesman said.

The station Voice of America is funded by the US Congress, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty by the US government. Both refer to their editorial independence. According to their own statements, they report from Washington without any specifications.

Media diversity has declined rapidly under the Taliban

Shortly after taking power again in August 2021, the Taliban pledged a more moderate approach than during their previous rule in the late 1990s. Despite this, they drastically restricted civil rights and freedoms, especially for women and girls, and introduced a strict interpretation of Islamic law, Sharia.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Afghanistan has lost 40 percent of its media channels and 60 percent of its journalists since the Taliban took power.

qu/kle (dpa, ap)