Human Rights Watch: Taliban have destroyed media freedom in Afghanistan.
Human Rights Watch says that since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, media freedom in the country has been completely destroyed and active media outlets are under intense censorship and surveillance.
In a report published today, Thursday, October 23, 2025, the organization said that in the past four years, media freedom in Afghanistan has been severely restricted and the country’s media power has been weakened.
Human Rights Watch adds that Taliban pressure has led to widespread self-censorship among journalists and the closure of dozens of local media outlets.
The report is based on 18 online interviews with journalists inside Afghanistan and 13 face-to-face interviews with Afghan journalists in Turkey, as well as with representatives of Afghan refugee organizations.
Human Rights Watch has called for an end to the Taliban’s pressure on the media and for the international community to support Afghan journalists.
