TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ; SUPERVISOR'S CERTIFICATE ; ACKNOWLEDGMENT ; FIRST CHAPTER ; 1. INTRODUCTION ; 1.1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ; 1.2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ; 1.3 . HYPOTHESES ; 1.4. RESEARCH Q UESTIONS ; 1.5 . RESEARCH M ETHODOLOGY ; 1.6. IMPORTANCE OF THE RESEARCH ; 1.7. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS ; 1.8 . MODE OF CITATION ; 1.9. SCHEME OF STUDY AND ITS PRESENTATION ; SECOND CHAPTER ; 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ; 2 .1. BOOKS ; 2 .2 . ARTICLES ; THIRD CHAPTER ; 3. THE CONCEPT AND ORIGIN OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ; 3 .1. THEORETICAL CONCEPTIONS OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ; .3.1.1 Harm Principle ; .3.1.2 Soft Paternalism. ; .3.1.3 Personal liberty ; 3.1.4. Censorship and Self-censorship ; 3 .2 . CONCEPTUALIZATION AND ELEMENTS OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ; 3.2. 1. The Notion of Freedom of Expression. ; 3.2.2. The Nature of Freedom of Expression ; 3.2.3. The Contents of Freedom of Expression ; 3.2.4. Freedom of Expression as A Human Right ; 3.2.5. Freedom of Expression as A Legal Right ; 3.3. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE AND LIBERALISTIC JURISPRUDENCE ; 3.3. 1. Islamic Jurisprudence ; 3.3.2. Liberalistic jurisprudence ; 3.4. THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ; 3.4. 1. A General History of Freedom of Expression ; 3.4.2. History of Freedom of Expression in Afghanistan ; FOURTH CHAPTER ; 4. LEGAL FRAMEWORK CONCERNING THE PROTEC I'ION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ; 4.1. INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK ON THE PROTECTION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION; 4.1. 1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 ; 4.1.2. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 ; 4.1.3. International Convention on the Elimination of All Fonns of Racial Discrimination, 1969 ; 4.1.4. Convention on the Elimination of All Fonns of Discrimination Against Women, 1981; 4.1.5. Human Rights Committee's General Comments ; 4.2 AFGHANISTAN LEGAL FRAMEWORK: SUPPORT OF SUPPRESS? ; 4.2.1 The 2004 Constitution ; 4.2.2 Mass Media Law, 2009 ; 4.2.3 Access to Information Law, 2014 ; 4.2.4 Demonstration, Gathering and Strikes Law, 2003 ; FIFTH CHAPTER ; 5. THREATS AND BARRIERS TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ; 5. 1. J UDICIAL CONSERVATISM ; 5.2. RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIMITATIONS ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ; 5.3. USE OF APOSTASY AND BLASPHEMY vis-A-vIS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ; 5.4. INFORMAL J USTICE SYSTEM ; SIXTH CHAPTER ; 6. A CRITICAL ANAL YSIS OF PROTECTION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN; AFGHANISTAN , WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH; 6. 1. MEDIA FREEDOM: WAR ON MEDIA ; 6.2. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY ; 6.3. FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS, CONSCIENCE AND RELIGION: A FAR-FETCHED DREAM ; 6.4. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND THE F EAR OF PERSECUTION ; 6.5. SOCIAL MEDIA: A NEW HORIZON OF LIBERTIES ; 6.6. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND T HE RIGHTTO PRIVACY ; 6.7. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION OF WOMEN ; SEVENTH CHAPTER ; 7. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS ; 7.1. CONCLUSION ; 7.2. SUGGESTIONS ; REFERENCES ; A) INDEX OF AUTHORITIES ; B) BIBLIOGRAPHY.