September 4, 2024
Kandahar-The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) is deeply concerned by the Taliban's recent suspension of broadcasts from the local branch of the state-run “National Television” station in Kandahar province. This action is in accordance with new vice and virtue laws that impose additional restrictions on media content, including a ban on images of living beings.
Enforcement of this order began on August 14, just prior to the anniversary of the fall of the republic and the Taliban’s return to power. However, details surrounding this order were only disclosed on September 2, following a meeting between Kandahar TV employees and officials from Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) in Kabul. Taliban officials in both Kandahar and Kabul have declined to comment on the matter. Informally, local employees were presented with the option to relocate to RTA’s main station in Kabul—a proposition complicated by geographical and financial considerations, rendering its feasibility uncertain. Local reports indicate that Kandahar TV continues to broadcast programs sourced from Kabul, yet there are growing concerns that these broadcasts may also come under scrutiny due to the newly imposed media restrictions.
Prior to the enforcement of this order, Kandahar TV operated from 8 AM to 10 PM, delivering three hours of local programming each day while relying on content from RTA for the remaining airtime.
The suspension of Kandahar TV’s broadcasts comes just two weeks after the Taliban’s announcement of the vice and virtue laws. Article 17 of the law mandates that morality police compel media officials to avoid publishing content considered contrary to Sharia law. Additionally, the article enforces the prohibition of any images depicting living beings.
In a prior directive issued on February 18, 2014, the Taliban acting governor of Kandahar, Molla Shirin Akhund, instructed local officials to prohibit photography and filming at the events, pushing for reports to be presented solely in written or audio formats. Journalists in Kandahar say that this prior directive has already created significant barriers to conducting interviews with local officials.
AFJC stated: “This is a serious setback for the country’s visual media landscape, and this action is a violation of the country’s media law. The state-run television under Taliban control already lacks the freedom to operate and to fairly cover events in both Kabul and the provinces.”
AFJC calls on Taliban authorities, particularly local officials in Kandahar, to reverse restrictive measures imposed on the media.