Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence urges Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to protect media freedom
/
4:56
/
MP4
/
723.4 MB
Download

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence urges Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to protect media freedom

A joint report issued this morning by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) paints a disturbing picture of the media landscape in the country since the Taliban takeover. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk says measures introduced by the de facto authorities fly in the face of international human rights treaties to which Afghanistan is party,” UN Human Rights Office spokesperson jeremy laurence said.

“The report, which covers the period from the 15th of August 2021 to the 30th of September 2024, details a range of human rights violations, as well as worrying trends for media freedom in Afghanistan. Journalists, media workers and media outlets are operating under a worsening environment of censorship and restrictions in accessing information. Women journalists and media workers face particular restrictive and discriminatory measures profoundly limiting their ability to do their work,” Laurence told the bi-weeky press briefing.

“Media workers deemed to have crossed so-called ‘red lines’ imposed by the de facto authorities have been arbitrarily detained for periods ranging from several hours to multiple months, without due process, and in certain cases were convicted and imprisoned,” he said.

The report states that since August 2021 many media outlets have been forced to cease their operations, whether as a result of direct pressure on them or the country’s general economic decline and the withdrawal of much donor funding. Furthermore, many media professionals have sought futures outside, creating an increasing dearth of experience in the media sector.

“On the 19th of September 2021, the de facto authorities issued an “11-Point Guidance” to media, forbidding, among other things, the publication of content deemed contrary to their own assessment of Islam and Afghan culture, or more broadly deemed to be against vague notions of “national interest”. Other restrictions include a prohibition on broadcasting music or movies deemed against Sharia religious law, including those showing women. At offices of media outlets, men and women must work in segregated workspaces, and men and women broadcasters cannot appear in a programme together. In some provinces, women are not even allowed to call into radio programmes, the only exceptions being for those on health or religious issues,” the spokesperson said.

“Some representatives of the de facto authorities have reportedly refused to be interviewed or speak to women. They have favoured the attendance of male journalists at press conferences, while female journalists were either not invited, barred from entering the events upon arrival, or, if present, asked to move to the back of the room. On the 3rd of May 2023, in Nili city in Daikundi province, the de facto authorities commemorated the World Press Freedom Day with an event to which women journalists were reportedly not invited. On the 19th of March 2024, the de facto ministry of education invited journalists to attend an event marking the start of the new academic school year. No women were invited, due to alleged lack of space,” Laurence said.

“The High Commissioner says such all-encompassing control of the public space – or what is left of it – is suffocating, not just for the journalists who try to do their essential work at great risk, but for all the people of Afghanistan,” Laurence said.

“The High Commissioner stressed that the Taliban de facto authorities must uphold Afghanistan’s State obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to ensure the right to freedom of expression without distinction of any kind, including gender. Central to this is respecting the vital role of journalists and media workers, including women, and facilitating the exercise, in safety, of their essential profession,” he said.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact

In Geneva:

Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org

Jeremy Laurence - + 41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org

Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights

STORY: UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence UN urges Afghanistans de facto authorities to protect media freedom

TRT: 04:55

SOURCE: OHCHR / UNOG
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 26 November 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

  1. Exterior shot: Palais des Nations
  2. Interior shot : briefing room
  3. SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):A joint report issued this morning by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) paints a disturbing picture of the media landscape in the country since the Taliban takeover. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk saysmeasures introduced by the de facto authorities fly in the face of international human rights treaties to which Afghanistan is party.
  4. Cut aways: briefing room
  5. SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):The report, which covers the period from the 15th of August 2021 to the 30th of September 2024, details a range of human rights violations, as well as worrying trends for media freedom in Afghanistan. Journalists, media workers and media outlets are operating under a worsening environment of censorship and restrictions in accessing information. Women journalists and media workers face particular restrictive and discriminatory measures profoundly limiting their ability to do their work
  6. Cut aways: briefing room
  7. SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):Media workers deemed to have crossed so-called ‘red lines’ imposed by the de facto authorities have been arbitrarily detained for periods ranging from several hours to multiple months, without due process, and in certain cases were convicted and imprisoned
  8. Cut aways: briefing room
  9. SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):On the 19th of September 2021, the de facto authorities issued an “11-Point Guidance” to media, forbidding, among other things, the publication of content deemed contrary to their own assessment of Islam and Afghan culture, or more broadly to be against vague notions of “national interest”. Other restrictions include a prohibition on broadcasting music or movies deemed against Sharia religious law, including those showing women. At offices of media outlets, men and women must work in segregated workspaces, and men and women broadcasters cannot appear in a programme together. In some provinces, women are not even allowed to call into radio programmes, the only exceptions being for those on health or religious issues.
  10. Cut aways: briefing room
  11. SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):Some representatives of the de facto authorities have reportedly refused to be interviewed or speak to women. They have favoured the attendance of male journalists at press conferences, while female journalists are either not invited, barred from entering the events upon arrival, or, if present, asked to move to the back of the room. On the 3rd of May 2023, in Nili city in Daikundi province, the de facto authorities commemorated the World Press Freedom Day with an event to which women journalists were reportedly not invited. On the 19th of March 2024, the de facto ministry of education invited journalists to attend an event marking the start of the new academic school year. No women were invited, due to alleged lack of space.
  12. Cut aways: briefing room
  13. SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):The High Commissioner says such all-encompassing control of the public space – or what is left of it – is suffocating, not just for the journalists who try to do their essential work at great risk, but for all the people of Afghanistan,”
  14. Cut aways: briefing room
  15. SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): The High Commissioner stressed that the Taliban de facto authorities must uphold Afghanistan’s State obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to ensure the right to freedom of expression without distinction of any kind, including gender. Central to this is respecting the vital role of journalists and media workers, including women, and facilitating the exercise, in safety, of their essential profession.
  16. Cut aways: briefing room


Audio Files 1
Download Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence urges Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to protect media freedom (Edited Story)
Download

Similar Stories

Gaza health update - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza health update - WHO ENG FRA

Gaza: Hospitals continue to overflow with people injured while seeking food - WHO 

As besieged Palestinian civilians face widespread malnutrition and starvation, hospitals in the Strip are increasingly overwhelmed by the influx of victims of shootings and other injuries at food distribution areas, warns the World Health Organization.

 

Sudan update UNHCR - WHO - UNMAS

1

1

1

Edited News | UNHCR , WHO , UNMAS

Sudan update UNHCR - WHO - UNMAS ENG FRA

Urgent help is needed to halt a deadly cholera outbreak that is sweeping across Sudan, UN agencies said on Friday, while warning that communities continue to be terrorized by parties to the conflict even as they flee violence.

UNEP Press conference: Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2)- 05 August 2025

2

2

1

2

Press Conferences , Edited News , Images | UNEP

UNEP Press conference: Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2)- 05 August 2025 ENG FRA

Negotiations got under way at UN Geneva on Tuesday to agree on a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution, with delegates from nearly 180 countries attending.

Gaza aid update OCHA - UNICEF

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF

Gaza aid update OCHA - UNICEF ENG FRA

Gaza: Hundreds of trucks per day of free aid needed “for months”, in addition to commercial supplies - OCHA

Despite the tactical pauses Israel introduced last week to allow some safe passage for humanitarian convoys, the amount of aid that has entered Gaza remains by far insufficient for the starving population, and UN trucks continue to face impediments on their way to delivering aid. 

Widespread starvation in Gaza – IPC, UN Women 29 July 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UN WOMEN

Widespread starvation in Gaza – IPC, UN Women 29 July 2025 ENG FRA

Aid agencies echoed wider warnings of growing signs of widespread starvation in Gaza on Tuesday, as UN-partnered international food security experts released their most dire assessment yet of the situation in the wartorn enclave.

Sudan displaced return – IOM, UNDP, UNHCR 25 July 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | IOM , UNDP , UNHCR

Sudan displaced return – IOM, UNDP, UNHCR 25 July 2025 ENG FRA

Sudan: urgent help needed as more than 1.3 million war-displaced people begin to return home

As conflict rages on across parts of Sudan, pockets of relative safety have emerged in the past four month, spurring more than one million internally displaced Sudanese to make their way home, says the International Organization for Migration (IOM). A further 320,000 cross-border refugees have come back to Sudan since last year, mainly from Egypt and South Sudan, to assess the current situation before deciding to return to their country for good.

Gaza crisis update UNRWA – WHO 22 July 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA , WHO

Gaza crisis update UNRWA – WHO 22 July 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza: SOS messages describe people fainting from hunger; UN health worker detained

Worrying alerts from United Nations staff in Gaza who have been fainting from hunger and exhaustion over the past 48 hours have increased fears for people’s survival in the devastated enclave, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

Funding cuts impact on aid access - UNHCR Dominique Hyde - 18 July 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNHCR , UNOG

Funding cuts impact on aid access - UNHCR Dominique Hyde - 18 July 2025 ENG FRA

Over 11.6 million refugees risk losing aid access due to funding cuts, says UNHCR

Approximately one in three refugees and other vulnerable individuals normally supported by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) are expected to lose out from funding cuts, it said on Friday.

UN Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani on opening mission in Bangladesh

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani on opening mission in Bangladesh ENG FRA

Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the following announcement on the Office’s opening of a new mission in Bangladesh.

UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on returns of Afghans

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on returns of Afghans ENG FRA

The surge in the number of Afghans forced or compelled to return to Afghanistan this year is creating a multi-layered human rights crisis requiring the urgent attention of the international community,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.  

UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on violence in Suweida, Syria

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on violence in Suweida, Syria ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday called for accountability and justice for the killings and other gross human rights violations and abuses in the southern city of Suweida. 

Syria Sweida violence OHCHR – UNHCR 18 July 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNHCR

Syria Sweida violence OHCHR – UNHCR 18 July 2025 ENG FRA

Syria: hundreds killed in Sweida, ‘widespread’ violations as civilians flee for their lives

Amid violent clashes in southern Syria’s Sweida governorate, a picture of grave human rights abuses and rising humanitarian needs is emerging by the hour, the UN said on Friday.