Taliban Minister Prevents Journalists from Filming in Laghman

Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban group’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, prohibited journalists from filming his meeting with religious scholars and local residents during his visit to Laghman province on Monday, Mizan 30. This action follows a similar ban imposed the previous day in Nangarhar province.

These restrictions come after the Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, ratified a new law on the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, which prohibits the recording of images of living creatures in all Afghan provinces This law, consisting of 35 articles, criminalizes the filming of living beings.

The Taliban group’s recent actions in limiting media freedom have met with international reactions. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for the immediate repeal of this law, and twelve members of the UN Security Council have strongly condemned it.

These restrictions are not limited to private media. The Taliban group has also closed the doors of the national television in Kandahar and Takhar provinces, indicating the expansion of media restrictions across Afghanistan.

These actions have raised serious concerns about freedom of expression and access to information in Afghanistan. Human Rights Watch has also reported that Taliban officials are threatening critical journalists with death.

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