ISLAMABAD: Afghan journalists say they are facing mounting pressure, arbitrary detention and threats of violence under Taliban rule, forcing many to work in constant fear while continuing to report on conditions inside the country, Hasht e Subh Daily reported.
Journalists and media advocates say reporting in Afghanistan has become increasingly dangerous since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Many reporters say they risk being summoned, detained or imprisoned for publishing material deemed critical of the authorities.
Despite those risks, journalists continue to document daily life and report on issues affecting ordinary Afghans.
Sahar, a journalist using a pseudonym for security reasons, said pressure on her work has intensified, particularly on social media platforms.
“Even working in social media now comes with fear and stress,” she said. “There is always the concern that the Taliban could arrest me at any moment, in any place.”
She said worsening economic conditions have also undermined the viability of independent media outlets, leaving journalists uncertain about their livelihoods.
Media coverage restricted
According to Sahar, many media organizations are under pressure to produce reports and content that conform to Taliban directives, limiting editorial independence and restricting critical coverage.
Taliban authorities arrested three media workers from the Afghanistan Media Organization in July 2025, and all remain in detention, according to the UNAMA report 2026.
Officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and the General Directorate of Intelligence detained the three employees during a broader crackdown on journalists and civil society activists.
Two of the detainees were sentenced in December 2025 to prison terms of 2.5 years and 3 years, respectively. The third media worker has not been formally sentenced.
The Taliban accused the three of promoting women’s education, spreading immorality and espionage.
'Systematic destruction'
Moreover, Taliban authorities detained three journalists this week, including two reporters from the country's largest broadcaster, TOLOnews, in what global rights groups call the systematic destruction of independent media.
TOLOnews confirmed Sunday that reporters Mansoor Niazi and Imran Danish have been held since Thursday without explanation. Sources told Amu TV, an Afghan media outlet, that Niazi was seized in western Kabul. His whereabouts remain unknown.
A third journalist, Ahmad Jawed Niazi, the director of Paigard News Agency, was also arrested at his Kabul office this week, according to the Afghanistan Media Support Organization, an exiled press advocacy group. Relatives of all three say they have received no information about their conditions or legal status.
Journalists working inside Afghanistan face persistent security threats, including surveillance, harassment and detention, while efforts to document these abuses continue.
The Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on the press since taking power, drawing repeated criticism from international press freedom organizations and human rights groups.
