New Taliban Decree Limits Official Communication to Designated Spokespersons

A new decree attributed to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada mandates that only official spokespersons are authorised to speak on behalf of the "Islamic Emirate" of the Taliban.

The decree further requires that spokespersons from the group's ministries and departments obtain approval before "publishing content”.

The decree, which was made public by the Taliban-controlled state news agency Bakhtar on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, outlines that spokespersons are "obliged to communicate the activities and achievements of the Islamic Emirate and other pertinent information to the media in accordance with established policy”.

This directive from the Taliban leadership significantly curtails access to information and increases governmental oversight. It suggests tighter control over the flow of information, further limiting the public's right to access accurate and timely data.

The decree also stipulates that if the Taliban's position on any issue remains unclear, spokespersons must refrain from making any comments. Instead, they are instructed to only release statements that have been officially issued by the group's "high authority”.

Moreover, the decree specifies that the responsibilities of spokespersons for ministries and other government departments are restricted to their respective domains. These spokespersons are required to secure permission from their respective ministries or departments before releasing any public statements or content.