Taliban authorities raided Radio Begum, a well-known women’s radio station in Afghanistan, on Tuesday, arresting two employees and suspending the broadcaster for alleged violations, according to both the station and the Taliban’s information ministry.
“Officers from the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), assisted by the Ministry of Information and Culture, raided Begum’s compound in Kabul,” the station said in a statement.
During the raid, Taliban officials searched the office, confiscated computers, hard drives, and phones, and detained two male employees who, the station noted, do not hold senior management positions.
Radio Begum declined to provide further details, citing concerns for the safety of its detained staff, but urged authorities to “take care of our colleagues and release them as soon as possible.”
The Taliban’s information ministry, in a statement on social media platform X, confirmed the station’s suspension, alleging “multiple violations” and accusing it of supplying content to a foreign-based television network.
“Due to the violation of broadcasting policy and improper use of its license, the radio station has been suspended while its documents are evaluated,” the ministry said, adding that a final decision would be made following the review.
Radio Begum denied any political activity, stating it remains “committed to serving the Afghan people and, more specifically, Afghan women.”
Press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the closure and demanded the ban be lifted immediately. The group reports that Taliban authorities have shut down at least 12 media outlets in 2024.
Founded on March 8, 2021—International Women’s Day—Radio Begum was launched just months before the Taliban seized power, ousting Afghanistan’s U.S.-backed government and enforcing strict interpretations of Islamic law.
Since then, Taliban rulers have imposed sweeping restrictions on women, barring them from secondary schools, universities, and many workplaces. The UN has classified these measures as “gender apartheid.”
Women appearing on Afghan television must be fully covered except for their eyes and hands, and many radio stations have stopped broadcasting women’s voices entirely.
Despite the mounting restrictions, Radio Begum has continued producing educational programming for women, including book readings and call-in counseling. In 2024, the station’s Swiss-Afghan founder, Hamida Aman, expanded operations by launching Begum TV, a satellite channel broadcasting educational content from Paris. Thousands of curriculum-based videos have also been uploaded to a sister website for free access.
The suspension of Radio Begum follows a similar crackdown in December when Taliban authorities shut down Arezo TV and detained seven employees. At the time, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice accused the channel of betraying Islamic values and collaborating with foreign-backed media, which have faced increasing restrictions under Taliban rule.
