Private television stations Noor and Barya have been shut down by the Taliban’s Information and Culture department for “failing to adhere to national and Islamic values”, according to Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency.
The shutdown by the department’s Media Violation Commission is only temporary, Bakhtar reported. Ostensibly until the problems are corrected.
“The license holders of Barya and other television networks are not present in the country and, in addition to destabilizing the administration, they constantly engage in falsehoods,” Bakhtar said.
Noor TV, established in 2007, has affiliations with the Jamiat-e-Islami party led by Salahuddin Rabbani, while Barya TV, which began operating in Kabul in 2019, is affiliated with Hezb Islami led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
The Taliban’s actions mark an escalation in their crackdown on media outlets. Numerous journalists have been detained since the Taliban took power in 2021, with many reportedly tortured or serving prison sentences for publishing reports that are critical of the group.
Currently, media outlets within Afghanistan have very limited freedom to publish any content that is not directly in line with Taliban’s directives.
