AMSO Condemns Taliban Ban on Publishing Images of Living Beings in Herat

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The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO), in a statement, has called the Taliban’s recent decision in Herat to ban the publication of images of living beings a “clear violation of freedom of expression and people’s access to information” and has warned of its consequences.

On Wednesday (September 24), the organization said: “This action not only restricts media freedom but also delivers a major blow to media, cultural, and social activities in the country.”

AMSO emphasized that by imposing such restrictions, the Taliban deprive the media of their essential role in informing and raising awareness, and the ban on publishing images of living beings has no compatibility with media standards, press freedom, and the people’s right to know. The organization added that this action by the Taliban is in clear contradiction with international laws and global human rights conventions.

The organization has called on the Taliban to allow the media to operate freely instead of exerting pressure and censorship. It has also urged press freedom advocates and the international community not to remain silent in the face of this Taliban action and to take concrete and serious steps to support Afghan media and journalists.

This comes after the Taliban’s department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, in a meeting with local media officials yesterday, ordered that the publication of any image of living beings, including humans, is “forbidden and prohibited.”