Taliban Issue Fresh Warning: “Keep Your Mouth Shut and Do Not Speak Against Us”

Amid escalating repression against civilians and opponents, a senior Taliban official has once again issued a blunt warning, urging citizens to refrain from criticizing the group.

Amid escalating repression against civilians and opponents, a senior Taliban official has once again issued a blunt warning, urging citizens to refrain from criticizing the group.

Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s Minister of Refugees and former political deputy prime minister, told residents of Khost, Paktia, and Paktika provinces that no one would be allowed to speak against the Taliban “in the mountains, on the plains, or in the streets.

” Kabir also called on local residents to prevent others from criticizing the Taliban, stressing that the group would tolerate no form of dissent.

His remarks come as the Taliban have systematically banned freedom of expression, independent media activity, and public protests for more than four years.

Media organizations, political opponents, and ordinary citizens say the Taliban are ruling through absolute authoritarianism, silencing public voices instead of listening to people suffering from poverty and hunger.

According to these sources, dozens of journalists, civil society activists, and protesting women have been arrested, imprisoned, and suppressed in recent years.

Hamed Obaidi, head of the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization, told Uzbek-Pedia that such warnings are not new.

He said the Taliban do not believe in freedom of expression and have imposed strict censorship on all media content.

“All media output in Afghanistan—whether seemingly independent or under Taliban control—is filtered.

Only content aligned with Taliban media policies is allowed to be published, ensuring that only their narrative is heard,” he said.

Former diplomat Fayazuddin Ghiasi described the Taliban as an extremist and unreformable group that has consistently suppressed free expression and opposition since its inception.

He noted that following their return to power, the Taliban arrested dozens of journalists, women protesters, and human rights activists, and in some cases, killed them.

Some citizens believe the Taliban’s repeated warnings reflect fear of growing public dissent.

They argue that while repression may appear effective in the short term, accumulated public anger will eventually erupt against authoritarian rule.

Previously, Taliban Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Shariai revoked licenses for all political parties, declaring that even mentioning a political party is a criminal offense.

Over recent years, the Taliban have banned all forms of protest and have brutally suppressed women-led demonstrations.

Reports by the Afghanistan Journalists Center and the newspaper 8am indicate that the Taliban have fostered a climate of fear and silence through censorship, forced confessions, threats, and the arrest of journalists, effectively eliminating independent media and public access to free information.

Reporter: MOHAMMAD FAHİM AZİMİ.