NAI: There Is No Freedom of Expression in Afghanistan and the Media Have Become a Propaganda Tool for the Taliban

Source: Shia Waves

The Afghanistan Independent Media Support Organization (NAI), welcoming the recent report of the United States Department of State on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, has said that this report only reflects part of the reality and that the situation of freedom of expression in the country is far worse than stated.

In a statement, the organization said that at present, there is practically no freedom of expression in Afghanistan and the Taliban not only do not recognize this right, but have turned the media into their propaganda tool.

NAI added that journalists and media workers in various parts of Afghanistan have been tortured by the Taliban, some have been secretly imprisoned, and in some cases their families have been extorted.

According to the statement, media managers have also been forced to sign written commitments that their content will be in favor of the Taliban, and these media outlets must inform the group’s intelligence before publishing any content.

NAI emphasized that media outlets operating under Taliban rule are no different from media outlets affiliated with the group, and in some cases, they are even forced to work more in the interest of the group than the Taliban’s own media.

The organization described the current state of the media as a “silent catastrophe” and said that the Taliban are trying to gradually and falsely present this bitter reality to the international community.