23-02-2025
Taliban allows two Afghan radio stations to resume broadcasts
Two Afghan radio stations, one for women and another for young people, are set to resume broadcasting under conditions imposed by the country's Taliban de facto government, the Ministry of Information and Culture announced late Saturday.
The Afghan authorities had banned Radio Begum and Radio Jawanan from broadcasting at the beginning of February, accusing them of having "misused their operating licenses and cooperated with banned foreign media outlets," according to a statement from the ministry.
Both radio stations have now promised that their future broadcasts will follow the Taliban government's policies and the principles of journalism, according to the ministry.
They also agreed to avoid any violations in the future, the ministry said.
Radio Begum, a station for women, launched in 2021 when the Taliban returned to power. It is connected to the Begum Organization for Women, a non-governmental organization that operates both in Afghanistan and France.
Radio Jawanan, also called Youth FM, is a Kabul-based radio station that focuses on issues important to young people as well as entertainment and civic responsibility.
Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, the Islamists have introduced a set of rules that have limited media freedom in Afghanistan. Twelve media outlets were closed by the Taliban authorities in 2024, according to Reporters Without Borders.
However, the Culture Ministry maintains it supports Afghan media and journalists, as long as they respect the country's Islamic values, national interests and Afghan culture.
