Afghanistan: Taliban Tramples Media Freedom – Human Rights Watch

Report on the State of Media Freedom in Afghanistan and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Since August 2021, the media landscape in Afghanistan has been systematically dismantled, representing a severe regression for the nation’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through surveillance, censorship, arbitrary detention, and violence, the de facto authorities have suppressed independent journalism. This has had a profound impact on SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by eliminating public access to information and undermining fundamental freedoms. Furthermore, severe and discriminatory restrictions on female journalists constitute a direct assault on SDG 5 (Gender Equality). The economic collapse of the media sector undermines SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). This report details the mechanisms of this repression, its disproportionate impact on women and minorities, and the precarious situation of journalists in exile, concluding with recommendations for aligning national policies and international actions with SDG principles.

Erosion of Fundamental Freedoms: A Setback for SDG 16

Systemic Censorship and Surveillance

The authorities have established a comprehensive system of control that contravenes the principles of SDG 16, particularly Target 16.10, which aims to ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms. Key mechanisms of this control include:

• The issuance of “11 rules” for media, which contain vaguely worded prohibitions against content deemed “contrary to Islam” or insulting to “national figures,” allowing for arbitrary enforcement.
• Constant monitoring of media content by the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) and the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV).
• Mandatory pre-publication review of reports, censoring any content perceived to have a “negative impact on the public’s attitude.”
• Compelling journalists to report on official events and punishing those who fail to do so, effectively turning media into a state propaganda tool.

This environment forces widespread self-censorship, with journalists limiting their reporting to pre-approved topics to avoid reprisal. Reporting on sensitive issues such as internal Taliban disagreements, human rights abuses, or the ban on girls’ education is strictly prohibited.

Arbitrary Detention, Torture, and the Collapse of Rule of Law

The state’s actions against journalists represent a complete failure to uphold SDG 16.3, which promotes the rule of law and equal access to justice. Media workers face grave risks for performing their duties.

1. Arbitrary Detention: Journalists are frequently detained without due process on accusations of spying, collaborating with exiled media, or reporting on opposition groups.
2. Torture and Ill-Treatment: Detained journalists report severe physical and psychological abuse, including beatings, lashing, and mock executions. Officials reportedly act with impunity, telling detainees they can be killed without consequence.
3. Unfair Trials: When journalists are put on trial, they are often denied legal representation and face charges of propaganda or spying. The judicial process lacks transparency and impartiality.
4. Discrimination and Inequality (SDG 10): Journalists from ethnic minorities, particularly the Hazara community, report facing harsher treatment, verbal abuse, and more severe accusations, exacerbating systemic inequalities.

Gender Apartheid in Media: A Violation of SDG 5

Exclusion of Women from Public Life

The Taliban’s policies have decimated the presence of women in Afghan media, reversing decades of progress and directly violating SDG 5 (Gender Equality), which calls for women’s full and effective participation in public life.

• The number of female journalists has plummeted from over 1,400 before 2021 to approximately 600 in 2024, with many provinces having no working female journalists.
• Women journalists are barred from covering many official events and face onerous restrictions, such as the requirement of a male guardian (mahram) for travel.
• The Ministry of Virtue and Vice enforces strict gender segregation in workplaces and mandates the hijab.
• In some provinces, women’s voices are banned from broadcast media, effectively erasing them from the public sphere.

These restrictions not only deny women their fundamental rights and opportunities for decent work (SDG 8) but also impoverish public discourse by silencing half the population’s perspectives and experiences.

The Plight of Exiled Journalists and the Need for Global Partnership (SDG 17)

Precarious Existence and Risk of Refoulement

Over 1,000 Afghan journalists have fled the country, yet they continue to face insecurity in exile. Their situation highlights the need for stronger international cooperation and commitment to SDG 16 and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Türkiye: Journalists live in fear of deportation, lack access to international protection, and face restrictions on movement. The presence of Taliban consular officials adds to fears of surveillance and retaliation against families in Afghanistan.
• Pakistan: Many of the over 150 journalists in Pakistan are at risk of refoulement following changes in visa policies.
• United States: Journalists who were evacuated face uncertainty as their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) expires, leaving them vulnerable to detention and forced return.

The forced return of any journalist to Afghanistan would violate the principle of non-refoulement and place them at grave risk of persecution. Host countries have a responsibility to protect these individuals in line with international law and the spirit of global partnership.

Recommendations for Realigning with Sustainable Development Goals

To the de facto Authorities in Afghanistan

To make progress towards a just and sustainable society, the authorities must take immediate steps to align with fundamental human rights and the SDGs:

1. Uphold SDG 16: Immediately cease the arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment of journalists. End all forms of censorship and ensure public access to information and freedom of movement for all media workers.
2. Advance SDG 5: Revoke all discriminatory restrictions on women journalists, ensuring they can work on an equal basis with men. End restrictions that prevent women from speaking to the media.
3. Strengthen Institutions: Conduct transparent and impartial investigations into all assaults and threats against journalists to restore the rule of law.

To the International Community and Host Nations

The international community must uphold its commitments to the SDGs and human rights through concrete actions:

• Protect Fundamental Freedoms: End all forced returns of Afghans to Afghanistan, adhering strictly to the principle of non-refoulement.
• Foster Global Partnerships (SDG 17): Increase and expedite the resettlement of at-risk Afghan journalists from transit countries like Pakistan and Türkiye.
• Ensure Justice and Equality (SDG 10 & 16): Guarantee that all Afghans have access to full and fair asylum procedures and provide support to Afghan media in exile, particularly outlets run by women.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article extensively discusses the breakdown of justice and institutional integrity in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, particularly concerning the media. It highlights arbitrary detentions, torture, unfair trials, and the systematic dismantling of a free and independent press, which are core concerns of SDG 16. The suppression of media freedom and the persecution of journalists directly undermine the goal of building accountable and inclusive institutions.
2. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • This goal is central to the article, which details the severe and discriminatory restrictions imposed on women journalists. It describes how Taliban policies have specifically targeted women in the media, leading to a sharp decline in their numbers, restricting their movement, controlling their dress, and even banning their voices from broadcasts. This directly relates to ending discrimination and ensuring women’s full participation in public life.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The article touches upon the economic devastation of the media sector. It notes that “40 to 60 percent of Afghan news outlets stopped operating” and that many were forced to “reduce staff or close altogether.” This has led to a massive loss of jobs and decent work for thousands of journalists, both male and female, impacting their livelihoods and the country’s economic fabric. The unsafe working conditions, characterized by threats and violence, also violate the principles of decent work.
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article highlights inequalities on two fronts. First, it describes the heightened persecution faced by journalists from ethnic minorities, specifically the Hazara, who are told their “crimes would have been less” if they spoke Pashto. This points to discrimination based on ethnic origin. Second, it discusses the precarious situation of Afghan journalists in exile who face the threat of forced return, touching upon the inequalities and vulnerabilities faced by refugees and migrants.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements. The article is fundamentally about the violation of this target. It describes how the Taliban have “gutted Afghanistan’s media” through “surveillance and censorship,” arbitrary rules that prohibit anything “contrary to Islam,” and forcing journalists to produce “‘safe,’ pre-approved stories.”
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. This target is undermined by the “arbitrary detention, torture, and other ill-treatment of journalists.” The article mentions journalists being put on trial without a defense lawyer and convicted of “propaganda against the Taliban,” demonstrating a complete lack of due process and access to justice.
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article provides numerous examples of violence against journalists, including “severe beatings,” “death threats,” and torture methods such as being choked with plastic bags, slapped until teeth and facial bones were broken, and lashed.
2. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The article details numerous discriminatory policies against women journalists, such as requiring them to wear hijabs, work in segregated spaces, travel with a male guardian, and the banning of their voices on radio in some provinces because they are considered “private and should be concealed.”
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. The sharp decline in the number of female journalists from “up to 1400 before 2021 to 600 in 2024” is a direct consequence of policies that prevent their full and effective participation in public life. Women are also “frequently blocked from covering even official events.”
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers. The working environment for journalists in Afghanistan is described as the opposite of safe and secure. The article details raids on media offices, confiscation of equipment, and the constant threat of detention and torture for reporting on “prohibited taboo subjects.”
   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. The article shows a regression from this target, citing that “40 to 60 percent of Afghan news outlets stopped operating” and the number of working journalists has been drastically reduced, indicating a massive loss of productive employment in the sector.
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… ethnicity… or other status. The article provides a clear example of exclusion based on ethnicity, noting that a Hazara journalist was taunted in custody: “A Hazara kid dared to speak against us?” This shows that journalists from ethnic minorities face worse treatment and additional restrictions.
   • Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people. The article discusses the plight of exiled journalists who face “increasing threats of forced return to Afghanistan.” It calls on host countries to “end the forced return of Afghans” and respect the principle of non-refoulement, highlighting the unsafe and irresponsible migration policies they face.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)
   • Indicator 16.10.1 (Number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists): The article provides qualitative evidence for this indicator through numerous firsthand accounts of “arbitrary detention,” “enforced disappearances,” and “torture.” A journalist detained for writing about the ban on girls’ education said “his family was unaware of where he was detained for the first week.” Another described being “tortured for more than an hour every night.” These accounts serve as direct, albeit not numerically aggregated, indicators of the prevalence of such abuses.
2. For SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
   • Indicator 5.5.1 (Proportion of seats held by women in… local governments) and 5.5.2 (Proportion of women in managerial positions): While not about government or management specifically, a parallel indicator is explicitly provided for the media sector. The article states that the number of women journalists “dropped from up to 1400 before 2021 to 600 in 2024.” This quantifiable data point is a direct measure of the decline in women’s participation in public life.
3. For SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
   • Employment figures in the media sector: The article provides clear quantitative indicators of job losses. It states that “40 to 60 percent of Afghan news outlets stopped operating” and that the number of men in media “declined from roughly 4,000 to about 2,000 in 2022,” while women dropped from 1400 to 600. These figures can be used to measure the decline in employment in this sector.
4. For SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
   • Qualitative reports of discrimination: The article implies an indicator for ethnic discrimination through anecdotal evidence. The testimony of a Hazara journalist being taunted for his ethnicity and an official telling another journalist his “crimes would have been less” if he spoke Pashto are qualitative indicators that can be used to track and measure discrimination against ethnic minorities.
   • Number of forced returns/deportations: The article’s focus on the “threats of forced return” and the risk of “refoulement” for journalists in exile implies that the number of journalists deported or facing deportation orders would be a key indicator for measuring the safety and responsibility of migration policies (Target 10.7).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: hrw.org