In its new report, Human Rights Watch reveals that after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, 80% of journalists have lost their jobs, and hundreds of media outlets have closed.
Weekly Jade-Abresham(silk way): In its new report released on March 7, Human Rights Watch deplored the massive censorship of the media and violence against journalists by the Taliban authorities in the provinces and districts of Afghanistan.
According to the report, journalists are forced into self-censorship due to threats, violence, arbitrary arrests, and systematic monitoring of the content of their reports.
In particular, journalists are prohibited from reporting on rising food prices in districts and provinces. Journalists cannot report on Taliban violence. They cannot cover stories that are considered against their policies. Moreover, according to the report, women journalists experience maximum repression from the Taliban in the provinces and districts.
According to Freshta Abasi, an Afghan researcher in Human Rights Watch, the Taliban oppose women to working as journalists in the provinces. “In most of the provinces, a large majority of stories are excluded from the news, and women journalists are driven to unemployment,” Ms. Abasi added. In addition, the Taliban refuse to provide information to journalists.
According to the Human Rights Watch report, only 10% of daily events in Afghanistan are covered. The rest are left out due to lack of access to information for journalists and restrictions imposed by the Taliban authorities. “Journalists are not allowed to visit districts without prior written permission from the Taliban authorities,” the report says.
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