AI-generated / Zan TV While the world commemorates September 28 as “International Day for Universal Access to Information,” in Afghanistan not only is there no news of access to information, but the voice of the media has been silenced under the boots of Taliban censorship and pressure. Journalists, analysts, and media activists in the country, in conversation with Zan News, speak of a “deadly” state of freedom of expression. According to them, what is happening in Afghanistan today is not only a clear violation of journalists’ rights but also the complete collapse of independent news institutions. Hisham, a local journalist in Balkh province, told Zan News: “Access to information is now a dream. When we ask questions, not only do they not answer, but we are threatened. The Taliban practically consider the journalist their enemy.” He spoke of multiple instances in which the Taliban not only refused to provide information but also arrested or threatened journalists for the “crime of asking questions.” Habiba Shams, a journalist based in Kabul, with a choked and hopeless voice, said: “Today media are either shut down, have chosen silence, or have turned into propaganda tribunes for the Taliban. We have only one request from the Taliban: let the truth be spoken.” She added that even unofficial sources are afraid to speak with the media. The fear of pursuit, arrest, and even torture has forced everyone into silence. Niaz Mohammad Farid, a media expert, described this situation as the “absolute destruction of the information system” in the country. He said: “Today there is either no media, or if there is, it has merely become a propaganda tool for the Taliban. Journalists have either fled, gone silent, or are in prison.” He warned that if the international community remains indifferent to this trend, Afghanistan will soon turn into one of the largest black holes of information in the world. While Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the right to seek, receive, and impart information for all, in today’s Afghanistan this article is nothing more than a torn page from history. The Taliban not only do not tolerate transparency, but they consider truth their enemy. On the International Day for Universal Access to Information, this bitter question turns more strongly than ever in the minds of Afghan journalists: “When they censor us, threaten us, kill us, and the world only watches, is freedom of expression truly universal or just a privilege for Western countries?” Today is the day that the silenced voices of Afghan journalists must be heard. If the world ignores this silence, not only will the media be destroyed, but truth itself will be consigned to oblivion.

Photo: Social Media The Taliban Supreme Court has announced that on Thursday, July 24, a woman was flogged in public in Balkh province on charges of “illicit relations.” According to the court’s statement, the woman had been sentenced to 39 lashes, and the punishment was carried out at the primary urban court in Balkh in the presence of judges, Taliban morality police officers, and security forces. Meanwhile, the Taliban Supreme Court also reported on Wednesday, July 23, the execution of flogging sentences against four individuals, including one woman, in Qush Tepa district of Jawzjan province. According to the court, these individuals were each sentenced to 25 lashes for “illicit relations.” This comes after the Taliban previously flogged a man and a woman in Takhar province. A few days ago, they also punished 11 individuals, including five women, in public in Sar-e Pol province on the same charge. It is worth noting that since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have repeatedly carried out public punishments. Previously, at least ten people were executed by this group in front of hundreds of spectators. International human rights organizations consider such corporal punishments and public executions to be violations of human dignity and contrary to international law, and they have called for their immediate end.

Photo: Voice of America News / Public Domain Four years have passed since the fall of the republic and the return of the Taliban, four years in which each day serves as a reminder of deception, ignorance, and violence. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, in his latest interview with Sky News, claimed that the group faces “no problem of legitimacy” and that many countries have “unofficially” recognized them. But the reality is that the Taliban have neither legitimacy nor the capacity to govern. No country except Russia has so far recognized this misogynistic and human rights–violating regime. The international community still regards the Taliban as a regressive group that engages with the world only to prolong its grip on power. The Lie of Legitimacy The Taliban seek to repair their image before the world through political performances and deceptive words, but legitimacy cannot be purchased through secrecy. Legitimacy has meaning only when girls can study, the media are free, and people can speak without fear, not when Kabul sinks into darkness and silence. Internet Blackout; The Suffocation of Awareness The 48-hour internet shutdown across Afghanistan, which caused the closure of banks and paralyzed people’s daily lives, was not a “technical failure” but a deliberate act to silence the voice of the people. The Taliban fear awareness -fear that people may see, read, and understand. From women who consider online education their last hope to journalists in exile who struggle to be the voice of the voiceless. Closed School Doors; The Lie of “Afghan Culture” The Taliban spokesman has said: “I cannot make any promises about girls returning to school.” This sentence sums up all of the Taliban’s policies: non-commitment, discrimination, and humiliation. For four years, millions of girls have remained behind closed doors, and the Taliban still claim they are “reviewing the matter.” The truth is that they fear knowledge, because they know that awareness is the greatest enemy of ignorance. Ban on Medical Education; An Assault on Women’s Lives The Taliban have also banned women from studying medicine and nursing. In a country where women die during childbirth, the Taliban claim that “we have enough female doctors.” This is not only a sign of illiteracy but also evidence of cruelty. They are stripping women even of the right to life. As a result, the Taliban’s Emirate of darkness, under the name of religion, is committing one of the greatest crimes against humanity. They have turned Islam into a political weapon and dragged Afghanistan into a prison of silence. Yet no regime built on ignorance, lies, and repression has ever endured. The day will come when the voices of girls will once again echo through the classrooms, and history will remember the Taliban not as a government, but as a religious and human catastrophe. Author: Tamim Attaiy

Photo: Mohammad Barno / Avash Media, CC BY 4.0 The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has announced that in just the past three months, nearly 1.8 million Afghan migrants have been forcibly returned from Iran. This figure was announced on Wednesday, July 30, by Abdul Rahman Rashid, the Deputy Minister for Professional Affairs of the ministry, during a press conference. According to him, over the past year, 184,000 migrants have also been forcibly returned from Pakistan and more than 5,000 from Turkey. This Taliban official claimed that all returnees have been registered and their basic needs have been met. He also stated that, based on a decree from the Taliban leader, 38 residential towns have been established in 29 provinces for the returning migrants. However, field observations and reports from independent organizations present a different picture; women abandoned with their children in border deserts, and families forced to take refuge in makeshift tents, ruined mud houses, or mosques. The deportation process from Iran is still ongoing. Iranian officials have declared that more than one million Afghan migrants have been expelled so far and have emphasized that all undocumented migrants must leave the country. Estimates of the number of undocumented Afghan migrants in Iran range between two to four million. In Pakistan, the situation is also critical. The residence cards of more than one million Afghan migrants have expired, and the Pakistani government has yet to make a final decision about their extension. This suspension and uncertainty have placed millions of Afghan women and children on the brink of forced deportation and fateless.

Illustrative photo: Nikita Kotrelev / Pexels The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO), on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, has announced that 539 cases of violence against Afghan journalists have been recorded during this period. The organization reported on Wednesday, August 13, that the recorded cases include physical attacks, beatings, arrests, and threats, and that currently 10 journalists are being held in Taliban prisons. According to AMSO statistics, among the victims of violence, 487 are male journalists and 52 are female journalists who have experienced Taliban violence. AMSO has warned that media freedom and the work of journalists in Afghanistan are facing unprecedented threats. The report states that dozens of media outlets have stopped operating, access to information has been severely restricted, and media support organizations have come under pressure.

Image: AI-generated illustration / Zan TV Taliban restrictions on women’s dress in Herat province have turned the area into a space filled with fear, control and humiliation for thousands of women and girls. Taliban checkpoints at intersections and main roads have not only restricted women’s movement, but have also severely disrupted their psychological well being. Women say that before leaving home, they look in the mirror repeatedly, not out of care for appearance, but out of fear that the colour of their clothes, the length of their coat or the type of their dress may be used as a pretext for arrest, humiliation or contact with their families. Atifa, a 19 year old girl, says fear leaves the house before she does each day. She works in a tailoring workshop and told Zan News, “I swear every morning when I open the door, my knees shake. I feel that every Taliban member standing on the street is looking for an excuse to arrest us. I only think, if they take me, if I am detained like other girls, what will happen to my dignity and my family’s honour? This fear is worse than prison.” She says the Taliban show no leniency even towards women who work to on the streets provide food for their families, “We are forced to work, forced! But the Taliban stop vehicles, search taxis and stare at women’s clothes. If it is a coat, it is as if we have committed a serious crime. No one asks how we are supposed to survive.” This fear is not limited to young girls. Safura, a widow and mother of three, says that every time she leaves home for labour work, she says goodbye to herself, a farewell filled with anxiety and despair. She says, “Now going outside is torment for me. One day I worry that my clothes might be too short, another day I think the colour may not be acceptable to the Taliban. I cannot sleep at night. I work for months and earn two thousand Afghanis, but I have to spend that money on my children. Where should I find the money for clothes that the Taliban will approve of? I do not know whether to feed my children or save myself from Taliban detention.” Karima, a nurse at a clinic in Herat, also says that fear of the Taliban has affected the healthcare environment. She says, “Every day I leave home with fear. When I reach the street, I just pray that the Taliban do not stop our vehicle. The Taliban have detained many girls just for wearing a coat. They contacted their fathers and humiliated them.” She adds, “My cousin went alone to the hospital one day. At the intersection, the Taliban forced her out of the vehicle and held her for hours until her father arrived. When she was released, she was no longer the same girl. Since that day, she does not even have the courage to go outside.” Women’s rights activists say that what is happening in Herat is not merely “dress control”, but a form of systematic violence and the creation of collective fear against women. This situation is gradually excluding them from work, society and normal life. While the Taliban describe these policies as “implementation of Sharia”, women say these restrictions have led to chronic anxiety, psychological breakdown and a constant sense of insecurity. They believe that women’s bodies and dress have become tools for the Taliban to display power.

Archive photo: Master Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco The United Nations says around 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are affected by a dangerous form of malnutrition known as “acute wasting”, with nearly one million suffering from its most severe and life-threatening form. According to a report published by the United Nations on Tuesday (25 August), UNICEF said children under the age of two account for 83 per cent of severe acute malnutrition cases. The agency warned that hospitals in parts of southern Afghanistan are facing a rise in the number of children suffering from severe malnutrition, with three to four children needing treatment for every available bed. The number of children admitted to hospitals with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications has increased by one-third compared with last year. The figure rose from 6,000 cases in July 2025 to 8,000 in July 2026. The United Nations cited repeated droughts, heavy rainfall and floods, regional instability, and pressure caused by the return of more than six million people to Afghanistan since 2023 as factors worsening the crisis. UNICEF says many families can no longer afford enough nutritious food for their children, while meals have become smaller, less frequent and more limited in nutritional value. In a recent report, the agency said that for some children, their first food at six months of age may be only bread with tea or diluted yoghurt. Cuts in humanitarian assistance have also made treatment more difficult. According to the report, more than 100 treatment centres for children suffering from severe wasting have closed this year compared with 2025. UNICEF’s nutrition programme in Afghanistan has so far received only 22 per cent of the $180 million it needs for its activities this year. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, said there should be no need to wait until a child reaches the point of being “severely wasted and in a hospital bed”. He stressed that early intervention both saves children’s lives and costs less than treating severe malnutrition. The malnutrition crisis is deepening as Afghan families face poverty, forced returns, declining humanitarian assistance and limited access to healthcare, conditions that place children at the greatest risk.

AI-generated illustration / Zan TV The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) says five years of Taliban rule have severely restricted Afghanistan’s media environment, and more than 80 per cent of female journalists have left formal media work. The organisation says security pressure, censorship, restrictions on filming and direct Taliban interference in editorial work have placed media independence and the public’s right to access information at serious risk. According to an AMSO report published on Wednesday (12 August), Afghanistan ranked 122nd in the World Press Freedom Index before the Taliban returned to power, but has now fallen to 178th place. The organisation described Afghanistan’s 56-place decline as a sign of a serious deterioration in media freedom and expanding restrictions on journalists. The report says that following the Taliban’s return, between 40 and 50 per cent of Afghanistan’s print, radio and television media outlets have been completely or temporarily shut down. As a result, hundreds of journalists and media workers have lost their jobs, while many have been forced to leave Afghanistan. Citing figures from Reporters Without Borders, AMSO wrote that of the 1,467 journalists who received support from the organisation’s assistance programmes between 2021 and 2025 after leaving their countries, 677 were Afghan journalists. This represented 46 per cent of all journalists supported through the programme. Reporters Without Borders has described Afghanistan as the “global centre of forced exile for journalists”. The situation of female journalists is one of the most serious parts of the report. AMSO says Taliban directives and restrictions have sharply reduced women’s presence in the media, with more than 80 per cent of female journalists leaving formal media work. The few women who still work in some media outlets also face strict rules regarding clothing and working conditions. According to the organisation, the widespread exclusion of women from the media is not limited to the loss of employment opportunities. It has also affected the nature and quality of coverage of issues concerning women, resulting in many of the experiences and problems of Afghan women receiving less media attention. The report also details intelligence-related pressure by the Taliban on journalists. According to AMSO’s findings, journalists and media officials in Kabul, Nangarhar and several other provinces have been asked to publicly declare their support for the Taliban system. In some cases, individuals have also been asked to identify and report journalists who work with independent media outlets or media organisations based outside Afghanistan. AMSO says Taliban restrictions no longer target only political and security news. In some provinces, journalists have been barred from reporting public complaints, casualties from incidents, social problems and even from filming at public events. In some cases, journalists have been detained for taking photographs or threatened with arrest. The organisation also reported that media outlets in Kandahar, Khost, Logar and Paktia have been asked to prioritise coverage of the anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power. AMSO warned that such pressure undermines editorial independence and turns media outlets into tools for disseminating the Taliban’s official narrative. According to the report, journalists’ cameras were confiscated at a vice and virtue meeting in Nangarhar, and they were allowed to record audio only. In Helmand, journalists were detained for around half an hour for taking photographs at an event related to breastfeeding. In Nuristan, journalists in flood-affected areas were placed under strict supervision and instructed to report only on Taliban activities. AMSO warned that pressure on the media in Afghanistan has become widespread and structural and is no longer limited to direct censorship of news. The organisation says the continuation of this situation poses a serious threat to the survival of independent media, women’s presence in the media, journalists’ safety and the public’s right to access free information.

Archive photo: Sgt. Lia Adkins / U.S. Marines, Public Domain The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says the Taliban’s severe restrictions on women and girls have had profound social and economic consequences and have become one of the main obstacles to expanding international engagement and investment in Afghanistan. The mission stressed that lasting peace and prosperity are not possible without the full participation of women in education, work and public life. In a statement marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, UNAMA said that despite a reduction in armed conflict in Afghanistan, increasing restrictions on women and girls continue to hinder the country’s reconstruction and progress. Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of UNAMA, said that “lasting peace and prosperity cannot be achieved simply through the absence of conflict” and that Afghanistan’s future depends on a society in which the rights and capacities of all citizens are respected and institutions are responsible and accountable. She called on the Taliban to lift restrictions imposed on women and girls so they can fully participate in education, work and public life, and so their fundamental rights and freedoms are protected. According to the UNAMA statement, the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls have not only affected their lives, but have also created immediate and long-term social and economic consequences for Afghanistan as a whole. The mission said the continuation of these restrictions has also reduced Afghanistan’s opportunities to attract international support, cooperation and investment. UNAMA also cited restrictions on civic space and freedom of expression, as well as restrictions imposed on female employees of humanitarian organisations and the United Nations, as factors limiting Afghanistan’s access to international support and cooperation. The mission said that since 2021, the United Nations has continued to support the people of Afghanistan by providing humanitarian assistance, essential services and engagement in political and human rights areas. At the same time, UNAMA called on the international community to continue its engagement with Afghanistan in a principled and practical manner. According to the mission, such engagement should support the aspirations of the Afghan people and help create conditions for the country’s reintegration into the international community. The statement comes five years after the Taliban returned to power, with women and girls in Afghanistan continuing to face widespread restrictions on education, work and participation in public life. UNAMA stressed that lifting these restrictions is essential not only for women’s rights, but also for Afghanistan’s stability, development and economic future.

Illustrative photo: Nikita Kotrelev / Pexels Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says the Taliban have systematically turned Afghanistan into an “information prison” over the past five years, where each new directive further restricts the space for journalists and independent media to operate. In a report published on Monday (10 August) to mark five years since the Taliban’s return to power, the organisation said the group has issued more than 20 nationwide directives and numerous local orders restricting media freedom since August 2021. Bans on criticism of the Taliban, the widespread exclusion of women journalists, the silencing of political debate and the prohibition on publishing images of living beings are among the restrictions cited by RSF. Célia Mercier, head of the South Asia desk at Reporters Without Borders, said that over five years the Taliban have “turned Afghanistan into an information prison”, and that the ban on criticism has now also been incorporated into the group’s laws. According to her, women journalists have been almost entirely excluded from the media landscape, independent debate has been silenced and critical voices are being pursued. Reporters Without Borders says the adoption of the “Law on the Principles of Criminal Proceedings” in January 2026 has provided the Taliban with a new legal tool to suppress critical voices. The law does not directly mention the media, but it also provides no immunity or protection for journalists. According to the report, Article 23 of the law provides for 20 lashes and six months in prison for insulting Taliban officials, while Article 19 provides for 39 lashes and one year in prison for insulting the Taliban leader. Article 24 also requires individuals to report contact with opponents of the Taliban government to the authorities. Reporters Without Borders warned that the use of vague concepts such as “rebellion”, “subversion” and “innovation”, combined with severe punishments, creates the conditions for the law to be used against journalists and critical voices. According to Reporters Without Borders, restrictions on the media began in the first weeks after the Taliban returned to power. In September 2021, the group introduced “11 journalism principles” that prohibited media outlets from publishing material contrary to the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam and required them to coordinate detailed reports with the government’s media centre. The Taliban later forced media outlets to refer to the group’s government only as the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” and barred them from inviting analysts critical of the Taliban to television programmes. In November 2021, the Taliban imposed dress restrictions on female television presenters and required them to cover their faces, except for their eyes, while appearing on television. In March 2022, the rebroadcasting of Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty programmes in Afghanistan was also banned. Reporters Without Borders says restrictions on the media intensified in the following years. In 2024, the Taliban abolished the 2015 Mass Media Law and, under the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, banned the publication of images of living beings, a restriction now enforced in more than 20 provinces. In September 2024, the Taliban also banned live broadcasts of political programmes, required media outlets to invite guests only from a list approved by the group, and prohibited criticism of Taliban laws and policies in media programmes. In March 2025, Taliban authorities in Kandahar also banned the broadcast of women’s voices on radio. Reporters Without Borders says hundreds of Afghan journalists have been forced to leave Afghanistan as a result of these pressures. The organisation called on transit and host countries to take seriously the risk of deportation or forced return of journalists to Afghanistan and to support them by providing protection and issuing visas. The organisation called on the Taliban to repeal all regulations and directives that restrict media freedom. This comes as, nearly five years after the Taliban’s return to power, restrictions on journalists, the exclusion of women from the media and increasing control over news content have severely restricted not only freedom of expression, but also the right of Afghan citizens to access independent information.