Taliban Ban on Live Images Forces Media Outlets in Herat to Halt Operations

DID Press: Following an order from the Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat province prohibiting broadcast of images of living beings, several media outlets, including the National Television of Herat and at least two private networks, have suspended operations.

Afghanistan Journalists Center reported on Monday, October 20, that the affected television stations halted their broadcasts after receiving directives from the department, which forbids local media from airing images of humans and animals, commonly referred to as “living beings.”

A media official in Herat, speaking anonymously, said, “We cannot produce visual content without showing the faces of presenters or program guests. Under these conditions, television broadcasting is practically impossible.”

Media experts have warned that the ban poses a serious threat to press freedom and public access to information. The decision has also drawn criticism from organizations defending freedom of expression and human rights.