Center for Freedom of Expression: Press Freedom in Afghanistan Nears Collapse Amid Intensifying Repression

On International Human Rights Day, the Center for Freedom of Expression issued a grave warning: the situation for journalists and media defenders in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate, marking one of the world’s most severe press freedom crises. The report details a systematic campaign of threats, censorship, and harassment that has crippled independent journalism and plunged the profession into existential peril.

A Climate of Fear and Legal Abandonment
Under the current administration, journalists operate in an environment of pervasive fear. The Center’s findings confirm widespread arbitrary arrests, intimidation, and prolonged detention of media personnel. Detainees are consistently held without formal charge, access to legal representation, or communication with their families, constituting a fundamental violation of due process and international human rights standards. This judicial vacuum has effectively normalized the criminalization of routine reporting.

The Eradication of Independent Media
State-sanctioned censorship has been methodically implemented. The report notes that in the past year alone, at least 15 television networks have been forcibly shut down, devastating the visual media landscape and drastically narrowing the public’s access to diverse information. Surviving outlets are subject to stringent content controls, while many journalists have resorted to profound self-censorship to avoid retribution. The silencing of independent voices has created an information blackout, undermining the public’s right to know and fracturing civic space.

Gender Apartheid in the Media
The repression is profoundly gendered. Women journalists have been almost entirely erased from the public sphere, facing a complete ban on their professional activities, further education, and social participation. This systemic exclusion is not merely a byproduct of the crisis but a deliberate policy of discrimination that strips Afghan society of vital perspectives and reinforces the Taliban’s rigid gender segregation.

A Regional Crisis: Journalists in Exile Face Peril
For those who managed to flee, safety remains elusive. Afghan journalists in neighboring countries, particularly in Pakistan, confront a dire humanitarian and protection crisis. They report increasing insecurity, threats of deportation, homelessness, and a critical lack of legal status or institutional support. This precarious situation has been exacerbated by rising bilateral tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, leaving exiled journalists vulnerable and abandoned by the international community.

An Urgent Call for Global Action
The Center for Freedom of Expression emphasized that the assault on press freedom is a direct assault on democracy, transparency, and human rights for all Afghans. It issued an urgent appeal to the international community, including multilateral bodies and donor states, to:

1. Prioritize Emergency Protections: Establish and fund concrete mechanisms for the evacuation, relocation, and sustained support of at-risk Afghan journalists and their families.

2. Apply Diplomatic and Economic Pressure: Hold the de facto authorities accountable for ongoing human rights violations and make the restoration of press freedom a non-negotiable condition in all engagements.

3. Support Independent Journalism: Sustain financial and technical assistance for exiled Afghan media and underground networks operating within the country to preserve the last channels for independent information.

4. Grant Protective Asylum: Expedite humanitarian visas and asylum processes for media professionals facing imminent threat.

The report concludes that without immediate and coordinated international action, the last vestiges of a free press in Afghanistan will be extinguished, with devastating long-term consequences for the Afghan people and the region.

 

 

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