According to a recent report released on 9th May by the Association of Free Journalists of Afghanistan, 287 media outlets have been closed and almost 6,000 journalists have been laid off since the Taliban took control (August 15, 2021).
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day and the second death anniversary of Mujahid Kakar, former head of ToloNews in Kabul, Farhad Behrooz, financial and administrative deputy director of the Afghan Free Journalists Association, said that 6,000 journalists had lost their jobs since the Taliban took office. Hundreds of journalists have also departed the country.
Behrooz expressed concern about the 122 journalists who were beaten between May of last year and May of this year.
He also urged that the fate of media access to information be determined.
He proposed establishing a commission to investigate media violations and prohibiting interference with journalistic work and unjustified and arbitrary harassment.
He described the Taliban’s presence, economic challenges, and the lack of a secure environment as key problems for the media, as well as a lack of access to information, threats, and regular summonses from the Taliban.
In the Reporters Without Borders rankings and index for freedom of information and media, Afghanistan was ranked 156th, down 34 places from last year.
