Morality police in eastern Afghanistan have ordered media in Kunduz province to send their reports to the Taliban before publication.
The Taliban Vice and Virtue Ministry said in a newsletter Saturday that representatives visited media outlets in Kunduz to pass on the order of sharing all broadcasts with the Taliban’s local media monitoring department before putting publishing them.
The statement from the Ministry warned audio, visual, and print/online media from publishing content “against the Islamic Sharia”.
It is the latest step in a series of crackdowns and bans on media content, including foreign-produced television serials. The Taliban has said the basis of the serials promoted Western culture and values and were leading youth astray.
Afghanistan’s media used to be held up as a success story of the US-led national building for its relative freedom of speech and critical coverage of political affairs. But since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, severe censorship on any of the de facto government’s actions has seen it revert to being regarded as a mouthpiece for the Taliban.
Media is not permitted to publish critical reports of authorities. Those that have done so have been punished and threatened, including being imprisoned, beaten or having their families threatened.
Two journalists and the chief of a staff of a local Daikundi province radio station were arrested on September 27 with still no update on their fate. Taliban forces also seized radio equipment and closed the office.
The Taliban regards any criticism as a crime against its beliefs, which it says is Islamic Sharia law.