Janice R. Andrews
Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has implemented new media constraints, barring the display of images depicting living creatures on government-controlled media outlets across multiple provinces. These guidelines, put into effect in August, are part of a broader initiative to govern daily life. The prohibition, detailed in Article 17, is currently enforced in regions including Takhar, Maidan Wardak, and Kandahar.
Taliban representative Saif ul Islam Khyber acknowledged the limitations for state media but left uncertain whether international media would be affected. The Afghan Independent Journalists Union voiced apprehension regarding the ambiguity surrounding the directive’s reach.
The union’s director, Hujjatullah Mujadidi, cautioned that while the initial regulation targeted state-run media, it now appears to extend to all media entities in the impacted regions. This development has sparked worries about escalating media censorship within Afghanistan.
