Richard Bennett: Press freedom in Afghanistan is in serious decline; call for the release of detained journalists.

Kabul Telemsnews- 2026-05-01
Report: Samim Bakhshi

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, has called on the Taliban authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all detained journalists and provide a safe and fearless environment for media workers.

In a statement released yesterday, he warned that the situation of media freedom in Afghanistan has deteriorated alarmingly since the Taliban returned to power.

According to Bennett, independent reporting has been severely restricted and journalists are operating in an increasingly “restrictive, threatening and hostile” environment. He stressed that this situation has affected not only the media, but also news sources and citizens who cooperate with journalists.

The statement said that the Taliban’s restrictive policies and measures, including censorship, strict monitoring and the implementation of regulations such as the “Enjoining Virtue and Forbidding Vice” law, have severely strained the media’s working environment.

Bennett also warned that these pressures have led to the spread of self-censorship among journalists and even citizens, with many people refraining from expressing their views and providing information due to fear of arrest, intimidation or surveillance.

He added that covering some sensitive issues, especially issues related to the rights of women and girls or criticizing the Taliban, can have serious consequences for journalists. He also said that the accusation of “collaborating with foreign media” is one of the cases that, according to him, leads to severe and repressive reactions.

According to the Afghan Journalists Center report cited in the statement, at least 34 journalists were arrested in the country last year alone.

Richard Bennett also emphasized that journalists face punishment and pressure even for their activities and posts on social media.

Finally, referring to World Press Freedom Day, he called on the international community to remain united in supporting Afghan journalists and emphasized increasing financial and technical assistance to independent media and establishing protection mechanisms for those at risk.