Maroc - NEWSDELIVERS.COM - A La Une - 15/Aug 05:53

License Suspension and Arrest of Journalists Reflect Pressures Facing Afghan Media

The suspension of broadcasting licenses, arrests of journalists and closure of news outlets in Afghanistan show that the Taliban continues to exert pressure on the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said. In recent weeks, the Taliban-run Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) has suspended 17 broadcasting licenses granted to 14 media outlets in the eastern province of Nangarhar. The private radio station Kawoon Ghag in Laghman province has also been shut down, the organization said. “Three years after the fall of Kabul, the Taliban continues to exert pressure on journalists and media outlets remaining in Afghanistan,” Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia Program coordinator, told VOA. “In July alone, at least two journalists – Sayed Rahim Saeedi and Mohammad Ibrahim Mohtaj – were arrested by Taliban intelligence agents and morality police, respectively,” he said by email. Radio and television stations Hamisha Bahar, Sharq TV and Arzasht were among the channels whose licenses were suspended, according to the Afghan media association. Media outlets were ordered to pay their outstanding licensing fees, which cost about US$1,500 per year. However, given that the media industry has been under economic pressure since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, the costs may be difficult to …