Media and journalists have lost their independence in the crisis-torn country since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August, according to local media.
In a statement on Monday, the Free Speech House expressed concern about the state of the media, Afghan journalists, freedom of speech and media freedom following the Taliban takeover, Khaama Press reported.
The Afghan media and journalists have lost their independence and are subject to systematic scrutiny by the de facto authorities in Kabul, the statement said.
The censorship has different roots, most of which belong to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the statement said.
“Afghan media and journalists are under unprecedented pressure from IEA intelligence to turn the media into their propaganda platform. Intelligence has succeeded in doing this to a certain extent because they use different methods as threat, force, and pressure,” Khaama Press quoted the statement. According to the Khaama Press, the Free Speech House claimed that the Taliban went to the media’s newsrooms and told reporters to cover stories that would benefit them under their rule.
It further noted that most prominent journalists had left because they did not want to be used to promote the Taliban.
The House of Free Speech has asked the IEA to stop censoring the media and putting pressure on Afghan journalists, and has asked international media advocates to protect journalists’ lives and protect the gains of the past 20 years.
The Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, and the country has since been hit by a deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
