Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated in her latest report to the UN Security Council that Media freedom in Afghanistan has become increasingly restricted.

In her report, released on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, Gagnon said: “Media freedom is increasingly restricted. Journalists face intimidation, detention, and censorship, reducing the space for public debate and public participation with people excluded from decisions on their own future.”

According to Gagnon’s report, the people of Afghanistan continue to face multiple crises, and their situation requires urgent attention and broader support from the international community.

She added: “Women and girls continue to be systematically excluded from almost all aspects of public life. The ban on secondary and tertiary education for girls persists now into its fourth year, depriving Afghanistan of female doctors, entrepreneurs, teachers, and leaders critical to the country today and for its future.”

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly emphasized that media in the country can operate freely according to Islamic principles and national interests, and that citizens’ rights, especially those of women are safeguarded within the framework of religion.