AMSO: Taliban threaten journalists with arrest for publishing certain reports

Ahmad Shaker Mon Jul 2026 2 months ago 2939

The organization says that arrests, physical violence, and Taliban interference in media activities have increased over the past month.


On Sunday, 21 Saratan [July 12], the organization published its analytical report titled "Under the Shadow of Fear and Censorship." According to the organization, this report is based on information gathered from various parts of Afghanistan between 20 Jowza [June 10] and 19 Saratan [July 9] of this year.


In this report, the situation of Afghanistan's media is examined from four dimensions: security and physical, administrative and professional, technological, and ideological. Based on AMSO's findings, journalists during this period have faced arbitrary arrests, mistreatment, beatings, and security threats.


According to this institution, a number of journalists have been arrested by Taliban intelligence agencies after covering official events. The organization has added that others have also been arrested and beaten due to everyday disputes, including over transportation costs.


The Afghanistan Media Support Organization has also stated that journalists who have been released from detention have been pressured to remain silent about what happened to them during their detention and to refrain from filing complaints or reporting. In the view of this organization, this situation has intensified an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship among journalists.


In another section of the report, the performance of Taliban spokespersons in providing information has been criticized. AMSO says that many of them, instead of releasing information through official channels and during office hours, publish information in the late hours of the night or through their personal pages on social media—a process that has made it difficult for media to access information and, in some cases, has led to administrative disputes and even salary deductions for journalists.


The organization has also reported an increase in interference by the Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in media activities, stating that some radio stations have received warnings about receiving phone calls and broadcasting women's voices. According to AMSO, inspections by agents of this ministry at media offices continue, as does pressure on journalists to grow beards and change their appearance in accordance with Taliban directives.


The report continues that the Taliban have warned journalists to refrain from publishing content related to economic problems, rising fuel prices, disputes among Taliban officials, and details of security incidents in media outlets and on social media. AMSO says that some journalists have faced threats of arrest and capture for publishing such content.


This media support institution has also cited the ban on using smartphones in a number of government offices as another obstacle to media activities, stating that this restriction has seriously disrupted journalists' access to information, communication with spokespersons, and conducting video interviews.


In conclusion, this institution has emphasized that Afghanistan's media are facing a "deep, pervasive, and multidimensional" crisis. AMSO has warned that the restriction of freedom of expression, the systematic reduction of access to information, the increase in security, economic, and psychological pressures on journalists, and the intensification of censorship have seriously threatened the future of Afghanistan's media and increased the risk of the gradual elimination of journalists and professional forces.

The Afghanistan Media Support Organization has announced that media outlets and journalists in Afghanistan are facing a "deep, pervasive, and multifaceted" crisis under Taliban rule.

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