Afghan Journalists Center: Taliban Issued at Least 24 Decrees Restricting Radio Activities

KABUL (Afghan Verified) -- The Afghan Journalists Center stated that the Taliban have issued at least 24 restrictive guidelines and decrees over the past years that have impacted radio operations across Afghanistan.

In a report released on Friday, February 13, 2026, the center detailed that these measures include prohibiting women from working at state-run radios, segregating workspaces for men and women, and banning interviews between women and men or vice versa.

Additional restrictions outlined in the report encompass requirements for specific hijab coverings, heightened limits on women's participation in press conferences or field reporting, bans on women's voices in advertisements, announcements, and phone interactions with women in certain provinces.

The center reported that radio journalists and managers who disregard these directives face threats, arrests, closure, or seizure of their outlets. Its findings indicated that over the past 12 months, two local women's radio stations received direct threats, while two others were shut down due to programming and reports deemed unacceptable by the Taliban, with staff subsequently detained.

Despite these constraints, the Afghan Journalists Center noted that approximately 200 radio stations remain operational nationwide. The organization called for an end to such restrictive actions and urged allowing radios to operate freely in line with journalism principles and standards of free media.