AFJC Denounces Taliban's Threat to Close Tamdon TV as Politically Motivated Move

AFJC Denounces Taliban's Threat to Close Tamdon TV as Politically Motivated Move

Tamdon TV issued an urgent news alert stating that the Taliban's Ministry of Justice delegation entered their Kabul headquarters to shut down the media outlet at 2:20 p.m on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

June 6, 2024

Kabul- The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) strongly denounces the Taliban's recent threat to close down Tamdon TV, viewing it to be a clear violation of media laws and a politically motivated attack. AFJC calls on the Taliban to respect the regulations that govern the media sector and to allow media outlets to continue their vital work without interference.

On Thursday afternoon at approximately 2:20 p.m., Tamdon TV issued an urgent news alert stating that a delegation from the Ministry of Justice of the Taliban had entered their headquarters in Kabul with the intention of closing down the media outlet. Sources within Tamdon TV revealed to AFJC that the delegation initially made the decision to shut down Tamdon TV as a "party media" based on an official letter from the Taliban's Ministry of Justice, but backed away from this decision shortly after a "phone call from high-ranking Taliban officials". The delegation stated that a final decision regarding the closure of Tamdon TV will be made within the next one to two days.

Following the action taken by the employees of the Ministry of Justice of the Taliban, Barkatullah Rasuli, the spokesman for the ministry, released a statement on X channel (formerly Twitter). In the statement, he mentioned, "The operations of Tamdon TV will cease as it is linked to a political party and occupies government land without authorization from the authorities. The Ministry of Justice of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan(Taliban governament) has mandated the prohibition of all political party activities in the country. Consequently, the activities of political parties and their affiliated media outlets are deemed invalid according to this decision."

Furthermore, the statement elaborated on Tamdon TV, Khatam Al Nabieen School, and Khatam Al Nabieen University being associated with the now defunct party "Harkat Enqilab Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Movement of Afghanistan), with their premises constructed on "usurped lands" belonging to the government. As a result, the operations of all three establishments have been halted, and their premises will be sealed off by the Ministry of Justice. A delegation from the Ministry of Justice has visited Tamdon TV's office to inform its officials that its broadcasting activities will cease, and its office will be sealed."It is stated in the press release that "the Ministry of Justice notes once again that the activity of political parties is prohibited in the country and any party activity will be dealt with according to Sharia law."

Also, the Ministry of Justice reiterated that political party activities are strictly prohibited in the country and will be dealt with according to Sharia law.

Tamdon TV, established in 2006 in Kabul by Well-Known Cleric Sheikh Asif Mohseni, predominantly broadcasts news, religious content, movies, and series with Islamic themes. However, its activities were curtailed in March 2022 following the Taliban's ban on broadcasting movies and series.

In response to the action taken by the Ministry of Justice of the Taliban, Mohammad Jawad Mohseni, the head of Tamadon TV channel, issued a press release stating: "Tamadan TV was established on land that was acquired from a private owner and possesses a Sharia and legal deed. The land where this media outlet is located holds no significant value and is not a government-owned property." According to Mohseni, the land where Khatam Al Nabieen school stands was lawfully obtained during the previous government (republic) and has a Sharia deed to prove its ownership. On the other hand, Khatam Al Nabieen University operates out of a rented building and does not own any real estate.

Addressing the allegation regarding Tamadon TV's political affiliation, Mohseni clarified: "Ayatollah Mohseni, the founder of Tamadon TV, formally and publicly resigned from the Islamic Movement Party in 2005 during the Party Congress, in the presence of the media. He relinquished his involvement in party and political activities, opting instead to serve the people solely as a religious scholar. The official documentation of his resignation is readily available for verification and can be found in the party's records at the Ministry of Justice."

Mohseni has requested the Taliban authorities to establish a committee to conduct an impartial investigation into this matter.

This is the second attempt against media outlets accused of being connected to political parties. Earlier in April, the Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture suspended the operations of Noor TV and Baya TV stations in Kabul, which are linked to the Jamiat-e-Islami and Hizb-e-Islami parties operating from Kabul.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center condemns the Taliban's attempts to suppress Tamdon TV and other media outlets, citing it as a politically motivated decision that infringes upon the country's media laws. AFJC urges the Taliban government to respect the laws governing public media in Afghanistan and allow media entities to fulfill their professional duties without interference or threats.

 

 


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