More than 200 media outlets closed down over past two years

Over 200 media outlets in the country have closed down since the Islamic Emirate regained control of the country two years ago.

Many of these organizations closed due to financial problems amid an ongoing economic crisis.

In their latest findings, the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) says that in the past two years, more than two hundred cases have been recorded of violence and arrests of journalists, of which 13 journalists are currently in prison.

The AIJA states that since the Islamic Emirate regained power, over 7,000 media workers, including women, have lost their jobs and migrated abroad.

“Before the victory of the Islamic Emirate, we had 600 media outlets in Afghanistan, of which 213 media outlets are currently closed; most of them were print media outlets,” said Hujatullah Mujadidi, head of Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association.

On arrests of journalists, the Islamic Emirate does not consider this as being related to their work.

“We have 13 or 12 journalists under arrest, one of whom is [Afghan-French journalists Morteza] Behboodi; another one [is in custody] but his media [employer] has not confirmed his employment; and eight other people who were arrested in the last two or three days,” Mujadidi added.

However, a number of journalists say that restrictions on media and lack of timely information from government institutions has made it difficult to work. They also said the recent arrests of a number of journalists by the forces of the Islamic Emirate have caused fear and despair among many journalists.

In the last twenty years, the media and freedom of expression were considered one of the important achievements of the republic, but after the collapse of the former government, freedom of expression and media activity in the country has declined.