Afghan media face new restrictions as the Taliban bans publishing images of living beings.
On Monday, Afghanistan’s Taliban morality ministry announced plans to enforce a new law banning media outlets from publishing images of living beings. Journalists were informed that the rule will be implemented gradually.
This follows the Taliban’s recent introduction of laws formalizing their interpretation of Islamic principles, which have been in place since they regained power in 2021.
“The law applies nationwide in Afghanistan and will be enforced step by step,” said Saiful Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV), in a statement to AFP. He added that authorities will aim to convince people that images of living beings contradict Islamic law.
“There will be no coercion in enforcing this law,” Khyber claimed. “It’s about offering guidance and helping people understand that these things go against sharia and should be avoided.”
The new legislation outlines several restrictions for the media, including a ban on publishing images of living beings and a directive prohibiting content that mocks or disrespects Islam or violates Islamic law.
While some aspects of the law have yet to be strictly enforced, including guidelines discouraging the public from viewing images of living beings on their phones or devices, Taliban officials continue to share photos of people on social media. Afghan journalists have reported receiving assurances from the authorities that their work will not be interrupted despite the new rules.
The Ministry of Information did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
“Regarding media-related provisions, implementation efforts are underway in many provinces, though not everywhere yet,” Khyber said, noting that enforcement had begun in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand, as well as the northern province of Takhar.
Prior to this new law, Taliban officials in Kandahar were already prohibited from taking photos or videos of living beings, but the media had been exempt from this rule.
“Now, the law applies to everyone,” Khyber added. On Sunday, morality officials in central Ghazni province summoned local journalists, informing them that the law would be enforced gradually. Journalists were advised to take photos from a distance and reduce event coverage, according to one reporter who spoke anonymously out of fear of retaliation.
Similar meetings were held in Maidan Wardak province, where reporters were also told that enforcement would be phased in.
During the Taliban’s previous rule from 1996 to 2001, television and images of living beings were banned across the country, but this restriction has not been widely imposed since their return to power in 2021.
Since then, however, authorities have occasionally enforced censorship rules, such as defacing images of men and women in advertisements, covering mannequin heads in stores with plastic bags, and blurring the eyes of fish pictured on restaurant menus.
When the Taliban took control following a two-decade insurgency against foreign-backed governments, Afghanistan had around 8,400 media workers. That number has since dropped to 5,100, according to media sources.