8am: The Hasht-e Subh Daily’s investigation into the situation of female prisoners across five western provinces of Afghanistan reveals alarming conditions. Women detainees face arbitrary arrests on “baseless” charges and endure torture in Taliban-run prisons. Presently, approximately 340 women are incarcerated in these facilities across the five provinces, primarily accused of making phone calls to men. The prisons exhibit inappropriate conditions, poor nutrition, hygiene deficiencies, limited medical care, and instances of misconduct by guards. Female inmates lack professional female supervision, are shackled during medical transfers, and have restricted communication with their families. These challenges underscore the deprivation of necessities within the prison system. The report highlights that all female prisons are overseen by Taliban military commanders, with no female involvement in management. To protect identities, pseudonyms are used in the report due to security concerns. Click here to read more (external link).