Media, journalists lost their independence after Taliban takeover: Report

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August, media and journalists have lost their independence in the crisis-torn country, local media reported.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August, media and journalists have lost their independence in the crisis-torn country, local media reported. On Monday, the Home of Freedom of Speech, in a statement, expressed concern about the situation of media, Afghan journalists, freedom of speech, and freedom of media after the Taliban takeover, Khaama Press reported.

The statement said that media and journalists in Afghanistan have lost their independence and they have systematically been censored by de facto authorities in Kabul. Censorship has different roots and that most of the roots belong to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the statement said.

"Afghan media and journalists have been pressurized by the intelligence of the IEA unprecedentedly and they want to turn the media into their propaganda platforms. The intelligence has succeeded to do so to a certain extent because they are using different methods as a threat, force, and pressures," Khaama Press quoted the statement. The Home of Freedom of Speech has claimed that the Taliban go to the newsrooms of media and tell the journalists to cover stories in their favor as they live under their rule, Khaama Press reported.

It further stated that most of the prominent journalists have left jobs because they did not want to be used for propaganda for the Taliban. The Home of Freedom of Speech has asked the IEA to stop censoring media and putting pressure on Afghan journalists and also asked international media advocates so that the lives of journalists are protected and the gain of past two decades are preserved.

The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 and following this the country has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis. (ANI)

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