Uwazi

Local sources in Mazar-i-Sharif city have reported the tragic suicide of a young woman named Homa, who took her own life after being released from a Taliban prison. The incident occurred on Saturday, November 4th.

Homa, a passionate protester against Taliban restrictions, was apprehended by the Taliban intelligence agency during a checkpoint inspection in the city’s seventh district of Mazar-i-Sharif on Sunday, October 30th. She remained in their custody for three days.

Although it has been alleged that Homa was a member of the women’s protest network opposing the Taliban’s restrictions on women, the women’s protest network in Balkh has not confirmed or denied her membership to Hasht-e Subh Daily.

Sources have revealed that Homa was 26 years old and had graduated in the field of education from Balkh University.

Reports indicate that Homa endured torture at the hands of the Taliban intelligence agency, with visible evidence of this brutality on her body. After her release from Taliban captivity, she tragically hanged herself from the ceiling of her room, putting an end to her life.

Homa’s body was laid to rest on the same day as her death, Saturday, November 4th.

As of now, the Taliban group in Balkh has not commented on this tragic event.

Throughout their more than two years of control in Afghanistan, the Taliban have consistently suppressed, arrested, and tortured female protesters. There have been documented instances of sexual assaults on women in their prisons as well.

Local sources have confirmed the tragic death of a young social activist who succumbed to torture while in a Taliban prison. The sources, speaking to Hasht-e Subh on Tuesday, October 17th, verified that the victim was Matiullah Fathzada, who passed away due to his injuries two days prior while in Taliban custody.

According to these sources, Matiullah had been arrested by the Taliban approximately a year and a half ago for sharing pictures of the National Resistance Front forces on his Facebook profile. He was a well-known figure in the Omarz district of Panjshir province and resided in the Khairkhana area of Kabul city. Importantly, he had no affiliations with any particular group, emphasizing his status as an independent activist.

As of now, Taliban officials have not released any comments regarding this incident.

It is noteworthy that since their resurgence to power, the Taliban have detained, imprisoned, and in some cases, executed hundreds of residents from northern provinces, particularly Panjshir province. These actions stem from accusations of collaboration with the National Resistance Front. In a recent incident, the group opened fire on a young man named Abdulaziz, a prominent figure from Panjshir, on Saturday, October 14th, following a verbal altercation in the Qala-e Fathullah area of Kabul city.

This heartbreaking event sheds light on the dire situation faced by activists and individuals critical of the Taliban regime in Kabul. The incident underscores the urgent need for international attention and intervention to protect human rights in Afghanistan during these challenging times.

Reliable sources have confirmed that the Taliban arrested and detained Manija Sadeqi, a member of the “Spontaneous Women’s Movement of Afghanistan,” 15 days ago.

Laila Basim, another member of the Spontaneous Women’s Movement of Afghanistan, confirmed on Monday, October 23, in an interview with Hasht-e Subh Daily, that the Taliban apprehended Manija Sadeqi on October 7, 15 days ago, in the Kart-e-Naw area of Kabul city.

According to Basim, despite the 15-day efforts by Sadeghi’s family to secure her release, they have been unsuccessful.

Basim states that the reason for detaining female protesters is their resistance against the Taliban’s misogynistic actions.

It is essential to note that the Taliban also detained Neda Parwani along with her child and husband on September 19 and Julia Parsi on October 26 this year from Kabul city. These two women are also members of the Spontaneous Women’s Movement of Afghanistan.

The arrest of Parwani and Parsi has sparked various reactions.

Despite repeated calls from human rights organizations for the release of the detained female protesters, the Taliban have remained unresponsive to their actions.

Zholia Parsi, a women’s rights activist, was arrested with her elder son by the Taliban in Qala-e-Fathullah area in Kabul on Wednesday morning, sources confirmed.

According to sources, Parsi was arrested from her home in Kabul and some of their belongings, including mobile phones and a number of documents, were taken away by the Taliban.

This is the second arrest of a women’s rights activist by the Taliban in less than a month.

Taliban has not commented on the matter so far.

More details will be added to this story.

Informed sources have reported the detention of Neda Parwani, a member of the “Spontaneous Women’s Movement of Afghanistan,” by the Taliban in Kabul.

At least two reliable sources have confirmed to Hasht-e Subh that the Taliban apprehended Neda Parwani on the morning of Tuesday, September 19, in the Khairkhana area of Kabul and subsequently transferred her to an undisclosed location.

According to sources, the Taliban have also detained the husband and a four-year-old son of this female protester.

As of now, the Taliban has not issued any official statement regarding this incident.

It is important to highlight that since the emergence of women’s protests in the country, the Taliban have detained and subjected several female protesters to torture.

Sources attribute the Taliban’s detention of female protesters to extortion by this group, alleging that the Taliban demand “money” in exchange for the release of female activists from human rights organizations.

Local officials in the central Afghan province where the Taliban detained 18 staffers for a long-serving humanitarian NGO earlier this month suggest the group was suspected of spreading Christianity, RFE/RL's Radio Azadi has learned.

Taliban intelligence and other officials in Kabul have remained silent over the detentions.

The International Assistance Mission (IAM) humanitarian group in Afghanistan on September 15 announced the detention of 18 team members from its offices in Ghor Province between September 3 and 13. It said they all appear to have been transferred to the Afghan capital, Kabul.

IAM and other information suggested the detainees comprise 17 Afghan nationals and a female American surgeon.

Early on September 16, IAM said it still "has not been informed of the reasons for the detention of our staff."

But Taliban officials in Ghor have accused them of spreading Christianity, which can be punished under strict interpretations of Islamic law in Afghanistan.

In a written message to Radio Azadi, Abdul Hai Zaim, the head of information and culture for the Taliban-led government for Ghor Province, confirmed the arrest of the IAM employees and claimed -- without providing evidence -- that they had been promoting Christianity.

The fundamentalist Taliban, who retook control of Afghanistan as U.S.-led international forces withdrew in 2021, have imposed a particularly harsh form of Shari'a law on the country when they have been in power at various points in the past four decades.

The internationally unrecognized Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has been accused by UN and other international officials of grave human rights offenses against non-Muslims, women, and minorities.

IAM said on September 16 that it had inquired with the Taliban-led Afghan government's Finance Ministry and was "working together with the UN and ACBAR, the coordinating body for NGOs in Afghanistan," to seek the release of the staff members.

IAM has worked in Afghanistan for nearly six decades, it said.

"IAM has worked in Afghanistan alongside Afghan communities for 57 years and we value and respect local customs and cultures. We stand by the principle that 'aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint,'" it said, adding, "All IAM staff agree to abide by the laws of Afghanistan."

In a concerning development, sources from Kabul have reported that the Taliban, approximately three months after the arrest of the human rights activist Shamsurrahman Rahiq, have now detained his younger brother.

According to informed sources in the city, the Taliban arrested Mohammad Mehrban Morshed on Wednesday, August 23rd, from Kabul’s third security district. The details of his whereabouts remain undisclosed.

Mohammad Mehrban Morshed is a third-year student at Kabul University, as per sources. The Taliban’s grounds for his arrest, however, remain unknown.

As of now, the Taliban has not issued any official statement regarding this matter.

It’s worth mentioning that on May 24, 2023, the Taliban intelligence forces arrested Shamsurrahman Rahiq for the second time in Kabul. Rahiq is a prominent human rights activist and resident of the Dara district of Panjshir province.

Rahiq is also reported to have previously worked as a staff member for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), although the organization has not yet commented on his case.

Based on the published reports, it is noted that about a year ago, the Taliban had forcibly taken Shamsurrahman Rahiq’s father from his home in Panjshir and shot him. His father was a former member of the previous government’s army.

In a recent and concerning development, Taliban fighters have reportedly detained eight individuals associated with the “Union and Solidarity of Afghan Women” movement following an attack on a gathering of women protesters in Kabul.

Sources reveal that the Taliban apprehended these eight individuals within Kabul city and have taken them into custody. The incident unfolded on Sunday, August 20th, when Taliban fighters executed the arrests from a confined location in the Khairkhana district of Kabul.

An insider source informed Hasht-e Subh that these women have been identified as Hajar, Khatol, Lima, Farida Moheb, Husna, and three others whose names are undisclosed. The source added, “The women had assembled to organize an event, but the location was surrounded, and they found themselves unable to leave.”

According to the source, as darkness descended, Taliban fighters entered the premises and apprehended the detained women. Photographic evidence obtained by Hasht-e Subh also indicates that Taliban fighters initiated an assault on the site where these women had gathered.

Meanwhile, the Union and Solidarity of Afghan Women’s movement verified the incident through an official statement, affirming that these women were detained before they could carry out their planned protest action.

The statement reads, “Members of this movement had planned to hold a protest in a confined area within Khairkhana Square in Kabul due to security concerns. However, before the protest could take place, Taliban forces stormed the site and detained eight of these women.”

It’s important to note that this isn’t the first instance of the Taliban detaining women activists. Since assuming control over Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed various restrictions on the country’s citizens.

On Thursday, August 10, officials from the General Directorate of Intelligence, the Taliban’s intelligence agency, stormed the office of the independent Killid radio station in Jalalabad city, in eastern Nangarhar province, and detained its manager Faqirzai and reporter Saleh, according to the non-profit Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC)and a journalist with knowledge of the situation who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of retaliation by the Taliban.

Separately, also on Thursday, Taliban intelligence operatives entered offices of the independent Uranus TV network in Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan and detained Hasib Hassas, a journalist at the independent radio Salam Watandar, according to the AFJC and another journalist who spoke with CPJ anonymously due to fear of Taliban reprisal.

CPJ’s journalist sources said that Faqirzai, Saleh, and Hassas were detained on accusations that they reported for exiled media.

“The detention of journalists Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai, Jan Agha Saleh, and Hasib Hassas just before the second anniversary of the fall of Kabul shows the Taliban is determined to continue their brutal crackdown on the media,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “Taliban authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the three journalists and stop muzzling reporting, whether it is conducted for local media or the exiled press.”

The journalist sources said that the three were transferred to an undisclosed location; CPJ was unable to determine their whereabouts.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid did not respond to a CPJ’s request for comment sent via messaging app.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the country’s media have been in crisis, with journalists facing arrests, raids on offices, and beatings. The Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence has emerged as a key threat to journalists in the country. Some journalists who fled the country have established media outlets to continue reporting on Afghanistan in exile.

Taliban authorities must stop their relentless crackdown on the media in Afghanistan and allow private broadcaster Hamisha Bahar Radio and TV to continue its work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

On Sunday, July 30, about 20 members of the Taliban provincial police raided the office of Hamisha Bahar Radio and TV in Jalalabad city, in eastern Nangarhar province, after receiving information about a journalism training workshop attended by both male and female journalists from the broadcaster, according to news reports and a journalist familiar with the situation, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. On Tuesday, armed members of the Taliban provincial police then shuttered the broadcaster’s operations and sealed its office, according to those sources.

“The Taliban must allow the broadcaster Hamisha Bahar Radio and TV to resume operations promptly and ensure its employees, including female journalists, are allowed unfettered access to professional training,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “It is appalling that the Taliban cracked down on a media outlet because of women’s participation at a journalism training session. Denying women of their rights has become the hallmark of the Taliban regime.”

Hamisha Bahar Radio and TV has 35 employees, including nine women, according to the journalist who spoke with CPJ. Under the Taliban, women face severe restrictions on education and employment, which the United Nations says have increased in recent months.

CPJ contacted Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid for comment via messaging app but received no response.

In August 2022, CPJ published a special report about the media crisis in Afghanistan showing a rapid deterioration in press freedom characterized by censorship, arrests, assaults, and restrictions on women journalists since the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021.

Security forces used water cannons and fired guns into the air to disperse a women’s protest in Kabul on July 19 over the Taliban-led government’s decision to close women’s hair and beauty salons.

Dozens of women took part in the rare public protest in the center of the Afghan capital. They held a poster with the slogan: "Don't take away our bread and water."

Beauty salons are a source of livelihood for women in Afghanistan, where the Taliban-led government has curbed the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls in education and most forms of employment.

One female protester told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that Taliban security officers beat some of the demonstrators with batons and used tear gas to break up the demonstration.

"Yes, they were very violent. They fired shots in the air and sprayed water on us. They beat the girls. They took their mobile phones," one woman told Radio Azadi through WhatsApp. Another demonstrator also described the violence used by security forces against the women.

"They shot around us. They hit us with electric batons. They beat us with rods. We ran from alley to alley,” said the protester. “I am 15 years old, and I want to defend my mother's right, my sister's right, everyone's rights.”

Both women requested anonymity to protect themselves from retribution. Their accounts could not be independently verified.

The office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) responded on Twitter to reports of the crackdown.

“Reports of the forceful suppression of a peaceful protest by women against the ban on beauty salons -- the latest denial of women’s rights in #Afghanistan -- are deeply concerning. Afghans have the right to express views free from violence. De facto authorities must uphold this,” UNAMA said.

The Taliban government's order to close women's beauty salons was issued last month.The Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued a letter on June 24 conveying a verbal order from the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. On July 4, Mohammad Sidik Akif Mahajar, a spokesman for the ministry, confirmed the contents of the letter, which had been circulating on social media.

The spokesman justified the order, saying the salons charge exorbitant amounts of money for makeup and that some of the procedures performed, such as plucking eyebrows and adding hair extensions, are illegal.

The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice gave women's salons a month to close their doors.

Local sources in Zabul report that the Taliban have prohibited the activities of Intersos, a humanitarian aid organization (HAO), due to its refusal to employ individuals designated by the Taliban in the province.

Sources informed Hasht-e Subh that the group sealed off the premises of Intersos, which operates in the healthcare sector, on Saturday, July 15.

The Taliban’s Public Health Directorate in Zabul has not commented on the suspension of Intersos in Qalat, the provincial capital.

However, an anonymous source from the organization stated that after Intersos declined to employ individuals designated by the Taliban, the Taliban authorities locked the premises.

This is the second time that Intersos activities have been halted in Zabul after officials of the organization refused to employ Taliban-designated individuals.

Meanwhile, earlier reports from Daykundi province stated that fifteen aid organizations have ceased operations in the province for several months due to Taliban intervention and extortion.

On June 18, Shahir was detained by members of the Taliban as he crossed the border from Iran to Afghanistan in the Zabul district when he was detained by Taliban authorities. According to a statement from the Pak-Afghan International Forum of Journalists (PAIF), Shahir was arrested by Taliban intelligence forces while travelling to Kabul and taken to an unknown location, where he was interrogated and tortured him. For two days, Shahir’s family had no knowledge of his whereabouts or fate.

It remains unclear whether Shahir was released from detention or if he escaped. Rahman Mirzad, a fellow journalist and colleague of Shahir, told 8am Media that Shahir had escaped from Taliban captivity on the night of June 19. A Taliban spokesperson in the Zabul province denied the journalist’s detainment.

Shahir, a reporter with Rah-e-Farda TV, left Afghanistan at the start of Taliban control in August 2021, taking refuge in Iran. His reportage is often critical of the Taliban regime and was previously targeted in April 2021 and June 2021. The journalist was returning to Kabul on June 18 due to issues with his Iranian visa.

The IFJ’s South Asia Press Freedom Report 2022-23 recorded 12 arrests of journalists in Afghanistan between May 1, 2022, and April 30 2023, with Shahir being the third Afghan journalist to be arrested this year. Mortaza Behboudi, a French-Afghan journalist living in France, was arrested on 7 January in Kabul, two days after arriving in Afghanistan. Days later, the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) detained freelance journalist Khairullah Parhar on January 9.

The IFJ said: “The arrest, detention and torture of Reza Shahir is yet another example of the Taliban’s ever-tightening grip on the media in Afghanistan. Journalists should not be arbitrarily targeted and must be able to work freely, without fear of restrictions or reprisals. The IFJ condemns Shahir’s arrest and calls on the Taliban to end its persecution of journalists in Afghanistan.”

Local sources report that Taliban intelligence forces have detained a human rights activist for the second time in Kabul city.

According to the sources, the individual in question is named Shams al-Rahman Rahiq, and the Taliban arrested him on Monday, May 29, along with Ata al-Rahman, his uncle’s son, at the Gozargah area in Kabul city. They transferred him to an undisclosed location.

Although the motive behind Rahiq’s arrest is not yet known, sources quoting his relatives say that he has been detained due to his human rights activities.

Sources state that the Taliban had previously arrested Shams al-Rahman about a month ago and held him in prison for a while, but he was released again with the intervention of local elders.

It is worth mentioning that approximately a year ago, the Taliban forcibly removed Rahiq’s father from his home in Paktia and subjected him to physical assault.

Shams al-Rahman Rahiq is a resident of the Abdullahkhel valley in the Dara district of Panjshir province and had been living in Kabul city.

The Taliban has not commented on this matter so far.

It is said that he has also been an employee of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), but the organization has not yet expressed its opinion on the issue.

It should be noted that since their takeover, the Taliban have detained and imprisoned several civil activists and human rights defenders in various provinces of the country.

Local sources in Parwan province have reported the detention of a school principal by the Taliban.

Lutfullah, also known as Agha-Shirin, was arrested on Thursday, May 18th, in the Bagram district.

According to sources, Lutfullah is the principal of “Abdul Sattar Shahid” High School in the village of Dawlat Shahi in Bagram district, and the Taliban detained him a few days after he criticized the ban on girls’ education.

Sources state that the Taliban intelligence apprehended this school principal during an official meeting at the Education Department of Bagram district and transferred him to an undisclosed location.

The Taliban have not made any comments regarding this incident so far.

Previously, the Taliban had detained and imprisoned several individuals in various provinces of the country on similar charges and for criticizing the group’s governance methods.

In the most recent case in January, the group had detained a young man named Majid Ahmadi in Ghor province for criticizing the ban on girls’ education and transferred him to an undisclosed location.

Mojib Zia, a former civil society activist, was detained at Kabul airport on 16 May. He had worked as a media consultant for the Rahmani Foundation during the previous government but had been living in Iran since the Taliban takeover. He had returned to Afghanistan when his father died and was detained as he made his return journey to Iran. He was released in early June.

Taliban fighters in Farah Province have detained, beaten, and imprisoned seventy farmers who were protesting the weak management of agricultural product prices in the market.

Sources told Hasht-e Subh that some farmers went to the province’s agriculture department on Wednesday, May 3, and protested. These farmers asked the Taliban’s agriculture department to collaborate with them in controlling the prices of their crops in the markets and to manage the price fluctuations throughout the day, which often drop from 100 to 20 Afghanis.

However, the Taliban not only did not pay attention to their protests and requests but also transferred these farmers by military vehicles to the security observatory in Farah.

Sources say that during the four-hour detention by the Taliban, these farmers were also beaten.

The main agricultural products of this season in Farah Province are eggplants, tomatoes, pumpkins, okra, and watermelons. The lack of storage space and the risk of spoilage are the main concerns of farmers in this province.

Taliban security officials in the province have not yet commented on the detention of protesting farmers.

Earlier, farmers in Farah Province had protested against the unprecedented drop in watermelon prices. In 2022, the price of each kilogram of watermelon in Farah had reached one Afghani.

Waheeda Mahrami, an Afghan women activist who was detained by the Taliban officials in the week, was released on Thursday, Afghanistan International reported.

Taliban had detained Waheeda Mahrami, a women activist on Monday, March 20 in Kabul, according to a source close to her. On March 8, the International Women’s Day Mahrami described the restrictions on Afghan women as “gender apartheid”, which eventually led to her detention.

It is reported that Mahrami had left her home on March 20 to attend an event celebrating the ancient New Year (Nowruz) festival, but never returned home since then.

The Taliban authorities have not yet commented about the woman activist’s arbitrary detention and her release so far.

Mahrami used to regularly participate in women’s protests in Kabul, demanding the restoration of Afghan women’s rights and freedom. With the resumption of universities and educational institutions for male students, Maharmi was one of the few female students who participated in a symbolic protest and led a book behind the closed gate of Kabul University.

The United Nations and the international community has described the ban on Afghan women’s education as gender apartheid, which would adversely affect half of the country’s total population.

Meanwhile, the de facto authorities of Afghanistan are allegedly accused of arbitrary detentions, harassment, and mistreatment of rights activists, women activists, and journalists since the group’s return to power.

Local sources in Badakhshan province report that Taliban intelligence agency has arrested a university professor in this province.

Sources on Tuesday, April 5, said that the professor’s name is Sakhi-Dad Sangin and he is the English Language and Literature department professor at Badakhshan University.

Sources add that Taliban arrested him last week on charges of criticizing Taliban educational policies towards girls and the closure of girls’ schools in front of the gates of Badakhshan University as he was leaving the campus.

Meanwhile, another source says that Taliban has arrested him on charges of moral corruption.

This comes as Taliban have imprisoned their critics on similar charges in various provinces.

It is said that the students and faculty of Badakhshan University have not said anything about the arrest of this professor out of fear of Taliban.

Sources say that Sangin had been teaching at Badakhshan University as a professor for the past 10 years, and students have had no complaints about him.

Taliban have not commented on the arrest of this university professor.

Taliban have previously arrested and suppressed a large number of their critics.

In the latest case, they also arrested Mateullah Visa, the head of the Pen Path Foundation.

On Thursday, March 30, authorities in the city of Faizabad, in Badakhshan province, shuttered the broadcaster’s operations and sealed its office, according to news reports and an employee of the radio station who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

The officers at the scene, from the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture and Directorate of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, accused the outlet of illegally airing music during the holy month of Ramadan. The Taliban banned playing and listening to music when it retook power in August 2021.

The radio station employee who spoke to CPJ said she was not aware that any music had been aired, and believed that the decision was retaliation for the station’s programs focusing on women’s education and job opportunities in Badakhshan.

“The Taliban should immediately reverse its decision shuttering the Radio Sada e Banowan broadcaster and allow the outlet to reopen and work freely,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “The Taliban have deprived Afghan women of everything from jobs to education. Shutting down a women-run radio station shows there is no reprieve for the Afghan media even during the holy month of Ramadan. The Taliban must correct its course and stop cracking down on journalism.”

Radio Sada e Banowan was established in 2014 and owned by Afghan female journalist Najla Shirzad. Local Taliban officials allowed the radio station to restart operations not long after the group retook power. It has six employees, according to the person who spoke to CPJ.

CPJ contacted Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid for comment via messaging app but did not receive any response.

In August 2022, CPJ published a special report about the media crisis in Afghanistan, showing a rapid deterioration in press freedom since the Taliban retook control of the country one year earlier, marked by censorship, arrests, assaults, and restrictions on women journalists.

At least 20 Afghan women marched in the capital, Kabul, on March 26 to demand the right to education for women and girls before being rounded up by a Taliban patrol.

The demonstration comes amid UN and other international condemnation over ongoing strictures under the Taliban-led government to keep women and girls out of schools, jobs, media, and other aspects of life since the hard-line militant group took power after U.S.-led international forces left in 2021.

Participants in the demonstration told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that Taliban enforcers arrived shortly after they began their planned march from the Red Bridge area in western Kabul and corralled the protesters to prevent them from continuing.

Video footage shared on social media showed around two dozen veiled women marching with small signs with "education is our right" written on them.

The demonstration was organized by the Afghan Women's Political Participation Network.

Organizers reportedly planned to march toward the Asif Mayel Girls' School, one of dozens of schools violently attacked by Taliban fighters or sympathizers.

"For almost two years, the future and fate of Afghan women have been taken hostage and we have been completely removed from society," one of the protesters, Momine Eftekhari, told Radio Azadi.

"Education is a standard with an educational curriculum that is the right of everyone. Not only is it the right of boys but girls, but unfortunately we have been deprived of education, work, and sports for more than 19 months."

She said the situation was "no longer tolerable [and] that's why we took to the streets."

Sources confirm that three of the female protesters have been arrested by Taliban fighters in western Kabul.

Sources say that the protesters were arrested on Monday, following the disruption of their protest by Taliban in Dasht-e-Barchi in Kabul city.

Malali Hashemi, Raqiya Sayee, and Fatima Mohammadi are the female protesters who have been arrested by Taliban.

Taliban in Kabul have not yet commented on the matter.

Some female protesters had taken to the streets this morning to protest the blockade of girls’ schools in Kabul. The protest was disrupted by Taliban fighters.

Taliban Shut Down Women’s Voice Radio Station in Badakhshan

Local sources in Badakhshan report that the Taliban fighters have closed the door of Radio Sedaye Banovan (Women’s Voice Radio) in this province.

Local sources say that Taliban closed this radio station on Friday, March 10, in Fayzabad, the center of Badakhshan province.

Sources add that Taliban said during the closure of Women’s Voice Radio that its broadcasts were not in line with their policies.

The policies that Taliban had set for Women’s Radio in Badakhshan included not playing music, not broadcasting live programs by women, and not allowing female presenters to speak in a soft voice.

Officials of the Taliban in Badakhshan have warned the officials of this media outlet that they have no right to operate after this.

Women’s Voice Radio was the only media outlet for women in Badakhshan, which began operating about five years ago and continued to operate even after Taliban seized the power.

Sources confirmed to KabulNow that the Taliban arrested Rasul Abdi Parsi, a former lecturer at Herat University, in Kabul 20 days ago. However, his whereabouts and fate remain unknown.

Parsi was arrested for criticizing the Taliban on his Facebook account as he continued to write posts critical of the Taliban performance, his friends told KabulNow on Tuesday.

He had formerly taught Islamic sharia or Islamic laws at Herat University and has been living in the capital Kabul for a while.

Some university lecturers and his friends have launched a campaign in western Herat province for his release from Taliban custody. They warned that his life is at risk.

The Taliban has not commented on his arrest. The group has recently increased the arrests of activists, protesters, university lecturers, journalists, and human rights activists in recent months.

In the latest case, the group arrested Matiullah Wesa, an education campaigner, from Kabul on Monday. His arrest drew widespread reactions and calls for his release.

Ghor Civil Society Network has called on the Taliban to release human rights activist Habiba Sharifi who was arrested after protesting outside the provincial governor’s office on Wednesday.

In a statement released on Thursday, the organization said that Habiba raised her voice for human rights and women’s rights, and that she had not committed a crime but had been arrested and imprisoned.

The network called on the Taliban to “tolerate” peaceful protests by Afghan women and stated they have a right to get an education and to work based on Islamic law.

The organization also called on the international community to step in and make the Taliban release Habiba and her father, who they also arrested.

Habiba Sharifi on Wednesday, on the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 8), protested alone in front of the Taliban governor’s office in Ghor and held a poster with a slogan demanding education, work, and social justice for women.

The Taliban, however, arrested Habiba and her father later that day at their home.

According to sources, the Taliban are holding Habiba in Firozkoh prison and her father is being held at the group’s intelligence directorate.

The U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said in his latest report this week that the situation in Afghanistan has significantly deteriorated and the Taliban are systematically and intentionally erasing Afghan women from public life.

The Taliban has not commented on the detention of Habiba Sharifi so far.

According to local sources reports, Taliban have arrested a social and media activist in Takhar province.

Subhanullah Subhani was arrested 20 days ago by the Taliban intelligence services, sources reported on Wednesday.

Subhani is being tortured by Taliban reportedly and is in bad condition.

He has been arrested because of his critical posts on social media groups, sources added.

He was a teacher at Abu-Osman Taliqani School for years and recently obtained his doctorate degree in International Relations department from Khorazmi University in Iran.

He went to Takhar to visit his family a month ago.

Recently, there has been an increase in the arrest of social and media activists by the Taliban.

The Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan has led to the implementation of strict Islamic law, resulting in the complete ban on education for girls. The barbaric regime’s oppressive actions have left women and children in a constant state of fear, with the latest victim being Mrs. Zarifa Rahmat.

Prior to the Taliban’s reign, Mrs. Rahmat was a private school teacher, but after the extremist group took over, she was forced to abandon her profession. Despite the ban, Mrs. Rahmat continued to teach young girls in her neighborhood in Kabul. However, on the 15th of February, Mrs. Rahmat became a target of the Taliban’s ruthless oppression. At 1 AM, the Taliban’s intelligence unit, known as Directorate 40, forcefully broke into Mrs. Rahmat’s home and abducted her while she was sleeping with her children. The Taliban then contacted her family, instructing them not to inform anyone of the kidnapping and not to publish the news on social media, promising her release by 10 AM.

Desperate to find his daughter, Mrs. Rahmat’s father rushed to Kabul from Herat province. Upon arrival, he contacted the National Intelligence Unit (Directorate 40), only to be told by the Taliban that they had no knowledge of her whereabouts. However, after her husband, Mohammed Rahed, publicized the news on Facebook, the Taliban finally acknowledged that they had abducted her. They offered to release her on the condition that she leave Kabul and stop teaching young girls. She was to go to the Shendand district of Herat province, accompanied by her father, and was warned not to raise her voice.

It’s worth noting that this is not the first time Mrs. Rahmat has been harassed by the Taliban. A month prior, she was summoned by the 5th district of Kabul Police department for allegedly gathering women to protest for women’s rights. They confiscated her national ID card and passport, only returning the former, which later expired, causing her eVisa of Iran to lapse.

The abduction of Mrs. Rahmat is just one example of the Taliban’s brutal oppression of women and their denial of the basic human right to education. Women and girls are not only banned from going to school, but they are also prohibited from participating in any economic or social activities outside their homes without a male guardian. The Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law has stripped women of their freedom and subjected them to a life of slavery. The international community has condemned the Taliban’s actions, and various organizations are calling for immediate action to protect women’s rights in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban remain defiant and continue to impose their strict laws. The tragic story of Mrs. Zarifa Rahmat is a stark reminder of the atrocities that Afghan women face daily, and the urgent need for action to protect their rights.

The Taliban’s rise to power has caused immeasurable suffering to the people of Afghanistan, especially women and children. The international community must take a stand against this barbaric regime and work to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls. The kidnapping of Mrs. Zarifa Rahmat is a tragic and heartbreaking reminder of the horrors that Afghan women endure under the Taliban’s oppressive rule.

The Taliban must allow Tamadon TV to operate freely and independently and end its campaign of harassment and violence against journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, February 14, about 10 armed Taliban members raided the headquarters of the privately owned broadcaster in Kabul, beat several staff members, and held them for 30 minutes, according to news reports and a journalist familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal.

That journalist said they did not know what led to the raid. Tamadon TV is predominantly owned and operated by members of the Hazara ethnic minority, and covers political and current affairs as well as Shiite religious programming. Hazara people have faced persecution and escalated violence since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.

“The Taliban’s raid of Tamadon TV and attacks on its employees show the group’s failure to abide by its professed commitment to freedom of expression in Afghanistan,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “Access to information in Afghanistan is critical. The Taliban must stop harassing journalists and stifling the work of the free press.”

While entering the broadcaster’s premises, Taliban members beat a security guard, two journalists, and two media workers, the journalist who spoke to CPJ said.

The Taliban members then pointed guns the station’s staff members, confiscated their mobile phones, and transferred them to a meeting room, where they were held for 30 minutes while Taliban members verbally harassed them, referring to one as an “infidel Hazara journalist,” according to that journalist.

Taliban members roamed around the headquarters, but it was not clear if they conducted any additional searches, and then confiscated two of the broadcaster’s vehicles when they left the scene.

CPJ contacted Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid for comment via messaging app but did not receive any response.

In August 2022, CPJ published a special report about the media crisis in Afghanistan, showing a rapid deterioration in press freedom since the Taliban retook control of the country, marked by censorship, arrests, assaults, and restrictions on women journalists.

Taliban detained a social media influencer and former member of security forces in the previous government in Kabul, Afghanistan's vernacular media Reporterly reported. The victim has been identified as Abdul Rahim and originally is from the Dare Abdullah Khel area of Panjshir province. He was detained from district 3 of Kabul city on Thursday. Meanwhile, according to local sources, Taliban members also detained Imran Ahmadzai a social media influencer from his home in district 12 of Kabul. Reporterly citing local sources reported that Ahmadzai was detained on February 12 due to spreading anti-Taliban propaganda. On Facebook, Ahmadzai has 23,327 followers and his last video was about people running on Kabul Street with a caption of 'go towards turkey' on February 8, according to Reporterly.

On February 8, hundreds of Afghan citizens rushed to the Kabul airport, after there were rumours that the Taliban were sending Afghans to Turkey. Taliban members had violently engaged with the people and scattered them with aerial shots. Meanwhile, on February 16, Abdul Haq Hemad, director of media oversight at the Taliban's ministry of information and culture confirmed that the Taliban has arrested people who have been suspected of spreading rumours about the transfer of Afghans to Turkiye. While Hemad didn't provide details about the arrested people, it seems that Ahmadzai might have been one of these people arrested by the Taliban on charges of spreading rumours about Turkiye, reported Reporterly. Taliban continue to arrest Afghan citizens who have been active on social media, and/or with a work background in the previous Afghan government. These arrests particularly from the security forces have been mainly focused on Tajiks and Hazara ethnic groups. After the fall of the republic order on August 15, 2021, hundreds of former soldiers who have been unable to leave the country have been arrested, tortured, and even killed by the Taliban. Several audio tapes and a list of ex-soldiers, most of whom are abroad, have been circulating on social media, that talk about the Taliban's attempts to arrest former members of ANDSF, reported Reporterly.

Sources said that Taliban intelligence operatives have arrested Mohammad Ismail Rahmani, a Pashto language writer, and social media influencer.

These sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban intelligence forces arrested Rahmani in Kabul on Saturday.

According to these sources, Rahmani has been transferred to an unknown location and his fate is not clear yet.

Ismail Rahmani received a master's degree in Shariah studies from Kabul University and has been a religious scholar.

Supporters and some Pashto writers have expressed concern about Rahmani's arrest and asked the Taliban to release him immediately.

Last week, the Taliban arrested social media influencers Sadullah Didan, also known as Haji Kaka, in Nangarhar province and Imran Ahmadzai in the capital city, Kabul.

On Sunday, the Taliban intelligence agency released a video clip of the forced confessions of these two Afghans, who admitted to anti-Taliban activities on their social media pages that have not been posted.