Taliban rulers have actually suspended Afghanistan’s only ladies’s radio channel after raiding it, the nation’s details and culture ministry stated.
The hardline Islamist group implicated the channel of “unauthorised arrangement” of material and shows to an abroad television channel, even more punishing the last couple of pockets of used Afghan ladies who are currently under analysis and pressure to run under Taliban guideline.
Radio Begum, based in Kabul, released 5 months before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. It verified the raid and stated Taliban authorities from the details and culture ministry browsed its properties on Tuesday and restrained personnel.
Taliban authorities “took computer systems, disk drives, files and phones from Begum personnel, consisting of Begum female reporters, and nabbed 2 male staff members of the organisation who do not hold any senior management position”, it stated in a declaration.
Radio Begum’s material is produced completely by Afghan ladies. While the Taliban did not point out which foreign television channel was included, Radio Begum’s sis satellite channel Begum television runs from France and broadcasts academic programs for the Afghan school curriculum from seventh to 12th grade.
Radio Begum broadcast a minimum of 6 hours of lessons a day, consisting of subjects of health, psychology and spiritual programs customized for ladies throughout parts of Afghanistan before its shutdown on Tuesday.
According to the Taliban, Radio Begum was breaking broadcasting policy and poorly utilized its license.
“This choice follows numerous infractions, consisting of the unauthorised arrangement of material and shows to a foreign-based tv channel,” the Taliban’s details and broadcast ministry stated without revealing when the radio station will be enabled to operate typically.
The ministry stated it will examine all required files to figure out the station’s future.
Radio Begum has actually rejected being associated with any political activity and stated it was “devoted to serving the Afghan individuals and more particularly the Afghan ladies”.
It is the 2nd time the Taliban has actually shuttered an outlet it implicates of dealing with foreign media. In Might in 2015, the Taliban cautioned reporters and professionals in Afghanistan to end their cooperation with Afghanistan International television, an independent broadcast service in exile reporting on the war-hit nation.
Human rights groups have actually contacted the Taliban to withdraw the radio station’s suspension. Afghanistan ranks 178 out of 180 nations, according to the 2024 press flexibility index from Reporters without Borders, an additional slip from 2023 when it ranked 152.