The Taliban’s Media Violations Commission announced that broadcasts of Noor TV and Barya TV have been “temporarily halted” for not adhering to “national and Islamic values.

Hafizullah Barakzai, a member of the commission, stated that the decision was made during a meeting in Kabul. Noor TV began broadcasting in 2007 and Barya TV in 2019, both operating out of Kabul. Officials from the two stations have not yet commented on the suspension.

The Free Speech Hub sees the recent suspensions as another move toward imposing further media restrictions in the country. Afghan media is a hard- won achievement of the people and should be protected, not restricted.