By Nizamuddin Rezahi in Khaama Press, Jan 3, 2023
The Taliban courts will soon announce its decision regarding the media outlets whose executives have fled the country and run the outlet from outside the country Afghanistan International reports.
Abdu Haq Hemad, director of media assessment at the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s ministry of information and culture has accused the media organizations of spreading propaganda against the ruling regime.
“A decision has been made regarding these media outlets. It is expected that the court’s decision will be announced in the near future,” Hemad said. He further stated that “no law allows the executive of media outlets to operate from outside and promote propaganda against the regime.”
This comes as the Taliban regime have already imposed tough restrictions on media organizations and news channels operating in Afghanistan. According to reports, media outlets operating inside the country cannot criticize the ruling regime and publish sensitive materials. Media freedom was restricted within the initial days of the Taliban’s return to power, followed by strict rules on female journalists and presenters while appearing live on news channels.
Since the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, hundreds of media outlets including TV channels, radio stations, and news outlets closed their doors mostly due to conservative restrictions imposed by the current administration, lack of financial support and other economic related issues. As of now, some 165 radio stations and 55 TV channels are operating in Afghanistan.
Media organizations in Afghanistan had their golden days over the past twenty years. The fragile media industry experienced an unprecedented improvement under the democratic regimes of Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of young and passionate Afghan male and female journalists served as presenters, photographers, and content writers for these media outlets. https://www.khaama.com/taliban-iea-to-prosecute-afghan-media-outlets-operating-from-abroad/
