Taliban regime's media clampdown leaves Afghan journalists silenced and fearful, advocacy group warns 

Kabul (Web Desk): Independent journalism in Afghanistan is increasingly suffocating under the Afghan Taliban regime, as escalating violence against reporters, arbitrary detentions, and sweeping censorship measures push the country’s media sector toward collapse.

A recent report by the Afghanistan Media Support Organization has raised serious alarm over the deteriorating conditions faced by journalists currently in custody, describing their situation as deeply troubling.

In a statement accompanying the report, the organization exposed the tactics being used to silence the press. It noted that unjustified arrests and unlawful detentions have created an atmosphere of fear, pressure, and insecurity among media professionals.

Harsh censorship policies have further restricted journalists’ ability to report facts freely, effectively blocking the public’s access to accurate and reliable information.

According to the findings, several journalists have been held in undisclosed locations without formal charges or due legal process, placing their lives at significant risk and denying them basic rights.

Analysts say the country’s media support framework has been rendered virtually dysfunctional, with authorities employing unchecked force to control the flow of information.

As a result, hundreds of local media outlets have shut down, while thousands of journalists have either lost their jobs or been forced into exile.

The Afghanistan Media Support Organization has urged the international community and human rights organizations to increase pressure on the Taliban to end arbitrary detentions and ensure the immediate release of imprisoned journalists.

The organization warned that if the current trajectory continues, the very notion of a free press in Afghanistan could be permanently erased.