Islamabad, Nov. 26, (dpa/GNA) – The media in Afghanistan is operating in an “environment of censorship and tight restrictions on accessing information,” according to a United Nations report released on Tuesday.
Female journalists were found to be particularly vulnerable, facing restrictions on their ability to work.
The UN documented 336 instances of human rights violations against journalists and media workers during the period August 2021 – when the Taliban retook control of Kabul – to September 2024.
“Journalists and media workers in Afghanistan work under challenging conditions. They often face unclear rules on what they can and cannot report, running the risk of intimidation and arbitrary detention for perceived criticism,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the UN diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.
The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, emphasized that every effort must be made to ensure that journalists and media workers, including all women, are respected and protected.
The UN called on the international community to provide technical and financial support for the media sector in Afghanistan.
The Taliban takeover led to a rapid decline in media outlets and jobs in the sector. Economic difficulties and the withdrawal of donor support further exacerbated the situation.
Despite the challenges, the UN report highlights that there has been a slight increase in the number of male and female journalists in 2023 compared with the previous year, and new media outlets have emerged.
GNA
