MoIC to Revise Mass Media Law in Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan – A spokesman for the Islamic Emirate Zabiullah Mujahid said on Tuesday the mass media law will be reviewed by the Ministry of Information and Culture, seeking approval of the current leadership.
This came at a time Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) expressed “deep concern” over the increasing number of media practitioners being arrested throughout the country.
“We will make some changes in the culture and religious sections and send it to the Islamic Emirate leader to confirm, and in the near future it will be available to the media,” said Mujahid in a thread.
Meanwhile, the acting minister of Information and culture said in a press conference that the Commission on Media Violations will start its activities within the next week, where they will tackle various topics, including financial challenges.
“In the next week we will hold a conference, so the commission will start working and address problems of the media–reporters, problems of the heads of these media outlets, and their financials problems,” said Khairullah Khairkhah, acting Minister of Information and Culture, as TOLOnews quoted.
Acting minister further said that during the last year they have identified 150 books against the Islamic values that needs to be revised accordingly.
“Still now, we reviewed 80 books and there were 150 books that are against the principle of Islam, and there are some other books that are against unity,” said Hayatullah Muhajir Farahi, deputy of publications in the Ministry of Information and Culture.
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While officials exclaimed during the past year no reporter has been killed in the country, Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) expressed “deep concern” over the increasing number of media practitioners being arrested and tortured.
Statistics from last 12 months by the AFJC show at least four journalists and media practitioners have lost their lives in Afghanistan: three as a result of two ISIS-affiliated explosions in Kabul and one person during coverage of the war between the Taliban and former government forces in Kandahar.
The report also showed about 130 other incidents against journalists and media practitioners, where about 90 cases were short and long-term detention up to a month, including violence and threats.
Most of these cases have been recorded during the past 8 months, which reflects on the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan since last August, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, hundreds of male and female journalists have left the country since the fall of the Islamic Republic on August 15. And, more than half of about 600 media outlets – mainly the radios, televisions, and print publications – were shut down due to financial crisis the sudden brought about to the companies.
Currently, about 30% of other media outlets that have been operating despite the odds are on the verge of financial collapse, forcing many others to operate intermittently for a few hours a day or week.
On December 2021, Reporters Without Borders and the Afghan Independent Journalist Association said that 231 out of 543 media outlets had closed, while more than 6,400 journalists had lost their jobs since the Taliban took control of the government.
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