The authorities installed by the Taliban in Afghanistan have banned on Thursday the broadcasting of Radio Azadi, the Afghan branch of the U.S. station Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Voice of America in more than a dozen cities in Afghanistan.
Ministry of Information and Culture spokesman Abdul Haq Hammad said on his Twitter account that authorities «have been forced to stop the broadcasting of destructive media.» «Judge – what are the journalistic principles?» he asserted.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is funded by the U.S. government and began broadcasting early in the occupation, although the Taliban now claim it «does not meet the journalistic principles» required to be able to broadcast information.
The directive issued by the Taliban takes effect Thursday and also affects Voice of America’s studios in the country, which has also received complaints about the content of its programs.
Since seizing power in Afghanistan last year, the Taliban have imposed a series of restrictions on the country’s media and journalists. Press freedom groups have accused the Taliban of censoring the media and harassing journalists, as well as discriminating against female workers on the basis of gender.
