Afghan journalists are expressing concern that the country is at risk of descending into darkness as the Taliban enforces a ban on images of ‘living things’, according to a report by The Independent. The stringent restrictions imposed by the Taliban are expected to severely hinder media coverage in Afghanistan, leaving human rights abuses undocumented, journalists warned.
The Afghan ministry for vice and virtue has instructed media outlets in Maidan Wardak, Kandahar, and Takhar provinces to refrain from showing images of ‘living things with a soul’, a directive interpreted to encompass both people and animals. Saif ul Islam Khyber, a spokesperson for the ministry, confirmed to the Associated Press that media outlets under Taliban control ceased displaying images of living beings in certain provinces on Tuesday to comply with the new regulation.
This ban, part of a series of ‘morality laws’ outlined by the ministry in August, does not apply to images of the Taliban’s prominent leaders. Consequently, journalists are no longer permitted to capture photos or videos of individuals and animals. Photojournalists, in particular, fear that their livelihoods will suffer due to these restrictions.
A freelance Afghan photojournalist working for an international news agency in southern Afghanistan expressed concerns about the impact of the ban on his profession. He stated that the prohibition, rooted in the Taliban’s interpretation of Shariah law, is seen as a tactic to suppress media personnel.
Amidst these challenges, a photojournalist who previously covered Afghanistan until the Taliban seized power in 2021 believes that the ban signifies an impending decline in the exposure of atrocities and human rights violations in the country. According to Massoud Hossaini, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Afghan photojournalist, this move will restrict the international community’s access to crucial visual information from Afghanistan, potentially jeopardising the safety of media workers.
Hossaini disclosed that even under the previous Western-backed government, he faced death threats for his work capturing images in Afghanistan. Local leaders warned him that taking pictures, especially of women and men who did not consent, was deemed ‘haram’ (forbidden), and failure to comply could result in severe punishment, including death.
As the situation for journalists in Afghanistan grows increasingly challenging, concerns mount over the potential escalation of restrictions on media coverage and the implications for press freedom in the country.