Afghan Service
Despite significant pressure from the Taliban, Radio Azadi is one of the most popular and trusted media outlets in Afghanistan.
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About the Service
For millions of Afghans, RFE/RL’s Afghan Service, known locally as Radio Azadi, is a vital connection to the outside world. The Service broadcasts 24/7 from Prague, delivering essential news in both Dari and Pashto.
RFE/RL originally broadcast to Afghanistan from 1985 to 1993. Following 9/11, RFE/RL returned in 2002.
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake on August 31, 2025, Radio Azadi’s coverage served as a critical source of information for affected communities. Journalists reported on how Taliban restrictions complicated aid efforts and disproportionately impacted women and girls.
The Service covers the harsh reality of life under Taliban rule, providing a platform for the most vulnerable — women and girls, victims of violent extremism, the LGBTQ+ community, and youth — to share their experiences.
Radio Azadi closely documents restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban, limiting their ability to work, study, and be active within the bounds of Islam.
In April 2025, Radio Azadi relaunched its “Education Hour,” a program designed to help girls in Afghanistan keep up with their studies as the Taliban bans them from formal education.
The call-in shows Colors of Life and This is My Right document the challenges faced by teachers in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and discuss topics considered culturally taboo.
The Service offers a wide range of coverage on pop culture and activism, demonstrating how Afghans are using art, music, and peaceful protest – even under threat of persecution – to resist restrictions.
Reaching Audiences
Media Climate
Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index ranks Afghanistan 175th out of 180 countries.
In 2018, RFE/RL journalists Maharram Durrani, Abadullah Hananzi, and Sabawoon Kakar were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. Mohammad Ilyas Dayee was killed in a targeted bomb attack in 2020.
In August 2021, RFE/RL closed its Kabul bureau and evacuated journalists.
Latest Updates
RFE/RL Expands Broadcasts to Afghanistan Despite Taliban Ban
RFE/RL’s award-winning programming is now available 24/7 for millions of Afghan listeners.
RFE/RL Condemns Taliban Move to Further Silence Independent Media
Today, the Taliban removed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) award-winning programming from AM and FM radio transmission networks in Afghanistan.
RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi Marks Two Decades Of Service
Twenty years ago, on January 30, 2002, RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi relaunched broadcasting to Afghanistan in the Dari and Pashto languages.
Service Director
Qadir Habib
Qadir Habib is the Service Director of RFE/RL’s Afghan Service, known locally as Radio Azadi. Previously, he was the Service’s managing editor, supervising 12 hours of daily broadcasts to millions of listeners inside the country and among the Afghan diaspora worldwide. He was one of the first journalists to join the Service in 2002 and has worked at its bureau in Kabul and RFE/RL’s headquarters in Prague. In his various roles, he has reported groundbreaking stories, conducted exclusive interviews with policymakers and leaders, and hosted popular talk shows on Afghanistan’s security, political, economic, and social issues. Habib holds a master’s degree in Business Communication and Public Relation from La Salle University in Philadelphia, and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Cairo University in Egypt.
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