وزارت امر به معروف گزارش دیدبان حقوق بشر درباره محدودیت رسانه‌ها را رد کرد

The Ministry for the Vice and Virtue of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan rejected the recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleging severe restrictions on media and the arrest of journalists in Afghanistan.

The ministry stated that it believes in media freedom within the framework of Islamic Sharia and Afghan culture and stated that it supports media operations in the country.

The ministry’s spokesperson added that girls are allowed to work, including in media organizations, provided they observe Islamic hijab and work in gender-segregated environments.

Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, the spokesperson, said: “All media outlets that operate impartially in Afghanistan and whose journalistic work benefits religion and the nation have been supported and facilitated by the ministry.”

Recently, Human Rights Watch reported a decline in media freedom in Afghanistan, highlighting serious restrictions and a shrinking presence of women in the sector due to the lack of a clear regulatory framework.

Part of the HRW report stated: “The Taliban have subjected the remaining news outlets to surveillance and censorship and punished journalists and other media workers for any perceived criticism. Media freedom has declined throughout Afghanistan over the past four years under Taliban rule. The Taliban’s severe restrictions on women have caused a sharp decline in the number of female journalists in the country.”

Sadduddin Hakimi, a journalist, commented: “If the Afghan government were to establish a clear framework, policy, and media law, journalists and media outlets in Afghanistan could report information on time and based on facts.”

Previously, some UN agencies had also expressed concerns over the state of media freedom in Afghanistan, concerns that were similarly rejected by the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Information and Culture.