Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 14, 2025 Four years after the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan, the United Nations says the ultra-conservative group “is closer than ever to achieving its vision of a society that completely erases women from public life.” Since returning to power on August 15, 2021, Taliban officials have imposed a series
8am: Reports indicate that al-Qaeda is rebuilding its operational capacity inside Afghanistan. While the Taliban and even many global powers deliberately downplay the network’s presence, the reality is that al-Qaeda, working in close coordination with the Taliban, is establishing new bases in strategic and mountainous regions, particularly in Panjshir Province. These developments point to covert
Khaama: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Trump administration of pursuing policies toward Afghan refugees that contradict the US State Department’s own findings on human rights conditions in Afghanistan. The State Department’s 2024 annual human rights report, released Tuesday, cites credible evidence of widespread abuses under Taliban rule, including arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial killings,
Amu: The US State Department, in its annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices, says Afghanistan under Taliban rule saw “widespread disregard for the rule of law and official impunity” for those responsible for abuses, as well as a “significant deterioration” in women’s rights due to restrictive edicts. The department says the Taliban have further
8am: Sources in Taloqan say that for over 40 days, several pharmacies have been closed under the pretext of inspections. According to these sources, some pharmacies have reopened through mediation or connections with local Taliban authorities, while others have been forced to clear out their stock, contributing to rising unemployment in the province. Sources further
Afghanistan International: Residents of eastern Nangarhar province who were displaced by Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) fighting under the former Afghan republic say the Taliban have failed to deliver on promises to rebuild their destroyed homes, and infrastructure. Civilians from Haska Mina, Achin, Spin Ghar, Kot, Naziyan and Dur Baba districts told Afghanistan International that clashes during
Khaama: Afghan migrants in Pakistan allege police are demanding bribes for release after arrests, with detainees reporting payments of large sums despite holding valid or pending immigration documents. Witnesses claim police often operate in plain clothes on motorcycles, demanding passports and visas. If documents are not produced, uniformed officers reportedly arrive in vehicles to make
Afghanistan International: Ismail Khan, an Afghan leader, has said in a message marking the fourth anniversary of the fall of Herat to the Taliban that the group’s actions over the past four years demonstrate the “legitimacy of the resistance” by its opponents. Ismail Khan described the fall of Herat as the result of “complex conspiracies