The Afghanistan Journalists Center has reported that the directive prohibiting the publication of images of living beings has been formally communicated to journalists and media outlets in Helmand Consequently, television stations in this province are on the brink of complete shutdown.
Helmand is the fourth province where the broadcasting of images of living beings has been declared unlawful.
In Badghis, the activities of the television stations have also come to a halt by the local authority’s directive regarding the prohibition of publishing images of living beings.
This center has expressed deep concern regarding the state of media in Afghanistan and the suspension of television broadcasts in Badghis, urging the Taliban authorities to reconsider this ‘severely regressive’ decision, which further constrains media freedom.
The report states: ”Following the issuance of this directive, the provincial branch of the National Television in Badghis ceased its operations and shut down, while the Obor television, the only private broadcaster in the province, also closed its doors. Other media outlets, including radios operating online, as well as freelance journalists, have been compelled to comply with this directive.”
Article 17 of the Law on Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, enacted by Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, stipulates that enforcers may prevent the publication of any material containing images of living beings.
The recent restrictions imposed on media in Afghanistan have sparked alarm among numerous journalists and media personnel, who believe that freedom of expression and information dissemination in the country are on the brink of annihilation.
To date, the broadcasting of images of living beings and visual interviews has officially been prohibited in the provinces of Badghis, Kandahar, Takhar, and Helmand.
- نویسنده : Afghanistan Women News Agency
- منبع خبر : Afghanistan Women News Agency
