Taliban Authorities in Nooristan Province Issue Ban on Publication of Images Depicting Living Beings

Taliban Authorities in Nooristan Province Issue Ban on Publication of Images Depicting Living Beings

January 7, 2025

Paroon, Nooristan Province – The de facto authorities in Eastern Nooristan province have issued an order prohibiting the taking and publication of images of living beings, citing the law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) expresses its grave concern regarding this restriction and its detrimental impact on media operations and the public’s right to information.

On January 6, Din Mohammad Mostaghni, the director of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice department in Nooristan province, announced the ban during a meeting attended by the de facto governor and local officials of Nooristan. He emphasized the importance of strict adherence to this directive, which has raised alarms among media professionals.

In Nooristan, alongside the provincial branch of the National Radio and Television (RTA) and provincial branch of Bakhtar News Agency operating under the de facto authoroties, three private radio stations—Alina, Sola Sahar, and Paroon Ghag—operate within the province. Local sources indicate that the National Television does not produce local programming and had previously relied on broadcasts from Kabul. Following the imposition of the ban, the de facto governor's office has ceased posting images of living beings on its social media platforms, opting instead for images of office buildings.

This ban has been officially implemented in five provinces to date, including Kandahar, Takhar, Badghis, Helmand, and Nangarhar. The restrictions have led to the closure of local television stations in these areas and imposed additional limitations on local officials and journalists. In Nangarhar, however, the ban appears to affect only state-run media, with private outlets reportedly continuing their operations without such restrictions. AFJC's findings suggest that the ban is also spreading to other provinces, with some de facto local departments already enforcing it.

The law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, enacted on August 21, 2024, introduces several constraints on both personal and societal affairs, including the prohibition of publishing images of living beings. Article 17 of this law mandates that the morality police intervene to prevent such publications.

AFJC categorically condemns the ban on the taking and publishing of images of living beings in Nooristan province, viewing it as a significant violation of free expression and a direct threat to the media landscape. This extension of restrictions is emblematic of a broader, systematic effort to suppress freedom of expression, severely undermining the fundamental right to access information.

AFJC urges the leadership of the de facto authorities in Kandahar to uphold the principles of freedom of expression and respect the fundamental rights of journalists and media organizations, particularly regarding access to information, as mandated by Afghanistan’s media law.