The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture has announced that media outlets operating in Afghanistan must comply with the group’s policies, Islamic rulings, and Afghan cultural values.

Habib Ghafran, spokesperson for the ministry, issued a warning on Sunday, 26 January, stating that any media organisations failing to meet these three principles would face suspension. Speaking to Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), now under Taliban control, Ghafran emphasised that non-compliant media outlets would not be allowed to continue operations.

The Taliban has also reinstated the Commission for Media Complaints and Violations, a body widely seen by exiled Afghan journalists as a mechanism for enforcing control over the press.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the environment for journalists and media outlets in Afghanistan has grown increasingly restrictive. Over the past three years, hundreds of media organisations have ceased operations, with many journalists facing imprisonment under Taliban-imposed restrictions.

A recent report by the Afghanistan Journalists Center highlighted the scale of the crackdown. In 2024, the organisation documented 181 cases of violations against journalists and media rights. These included 130 incidents of threats and 51 arrests of journalists.

The Taliban’s policies have drawn widespread criticism from media freedom advocates, who warn that such restrictions severely undermine independent journalism and free expression in Afghanistan.