KARACHI: During the last five years, the Taliban have methodically turned Afghanistan into a prison for information.
Every new directive further shrinks the space for journalists and independent media, says a new report of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released on Monday. Report further says since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021, they have issued more than twenty national directives and a long list of provincial decrees aimed at dismantling press freedom. Journalism is increasingly throttled as criticism of the regime is forbidden, women face sweeping restrictions, political debate has been silenced and broadcasting images of living beings is banned. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for an end to this crackdown.
In January 2026, yet another line was crossed when the regime quietly enacted a new Code of Criminal Procedure for the courts, which was brought to light, thanks to a leak. Though the code makes no direct mention of the press, it offers no protection for media professionals and does not exempt them from the code, leaving them exposed to legal threats and severe penalties, including imprisonment.
The new code provides for prison terms and flogging for insulting the leadership of the Emirate (Article 23: 20 lashes and six months in prison) or the Taliban’s supreme leader (Article 19: 39 lashes and one year in prison), effectively criminalising any criticism of the authorities. It also punishes contact with opponents of the government, as Article 24 makes it mandatory to report such contact to the authorities. Vague definitions of “rebellion,” “subversion,” and “heresy” are paired with harsh penalties, giving the regime a powerful new legal weapon to silence journalists.
RSF South Asia Desk Célia Mercier said in five years, the Taliban have methodically turned Afghanistan into a prison for information. Every new directive further shrinks the space for journalists and independent media. The ban on criticism is now written into law, formally codifying censorship. Women journalists have been all but erased, debate has been silenced, and every independent voice is prosecuted. By criminalising media professionals, the de facto authorities are seeking absolute control over the flow of information.
RSF calls for the repeal of every provision that restricts press freedom. Hundreds of Afghan journalists have been forced to flee the country to escape this repression, save their lives, and continue their work, and transit and host countries alike must recognise the scale of this crackdown and the danger that deportation or forced return poses to these media professionals. These countries must guarantee their protection, including by granting them visas.
