Afghanistan International: As Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada appoints a new governor and police chief to contain the unrest, evidence suggests the list of dissatisfied local Taliban figures in Badakhshan is growing. The Taliban leadership’s “monopolistic” policies, the marginalisation of Tajik and Badakhshani figures, and what critics describe as the unchecked looting of gold mines by
Afghanistan International: Sources told Afghanistan International that Nawidullah Fitrat, a teacher and Taliban critic, was detained by the Taliban in Herat on Wednesday after recently speaking out against the group’s policies and actions. According to information received by Afghanistan International, Fitrat was detained in Herat city on Wednesday morning, 26 August. Sources said the Taliban
Afghanistan International: Nawidullah Fitrat, a teacher in Kabul, accused the Taliban in a Facebook video on Friday of using religion to pursue ethnic objectives, saying the group’s true nature had become clear to the public. In the video, which was broadcast live on his Facebook page, Fitrat said: “This may be my last video, but
8am: Mawlawi Mahdi Mujahid was a devoted foot soldier of the Taliban. He was also non-Pashtun and an outsider within the group’s regime. Unlike many others, he was not an unquestioning follower of the Taliban Supreme Leader’s decisions, and in some instances he acted as a rights-seeker, making decisions regarding the territory under his authority
8am: Some residents of Naw Abad township in the center of Ghazni and residents of Omid-e Sabz township in the sixth district of Kabul city, which is predominantly populated by Shiites, are complaining about biased and one-sided treatment from Taliban officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Commission for the Prevention of Land Usurpation
Afghanistan International: The Bolaq Analysts Network said in a new report that Hazaras have faced widespread security, political, economic, religious and cultural challenges during the five years of Taliban rule. The report, titled The Human Rights Situation of Hazaras in the Fifth Year of Taliban Rule, was published to coincide with the fifth anniversary of
Amu: More than 130 Hazara and Shiite students at universities in Balkh and Herat have been denied access to dormitories over the past week, sources and several students told Amu TV. They said university officials explicitly cited their ethnicity and religious affiliation in rejecting their applications. The accounts from Balkh and Herat raise questions about
Afghanistan International: Taliban Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Sharaei has rejected allegations of “systematic discrimination” and attempts to forcibly displace Hazaras, saying land recovery is a legal matter unrelated to ethnicity or religion. His remarks came after the Taliban Justice Ministry had earlier declared Omid-e Sabz township in Kabul state property and ordered residents to leave
Afghanistan International: Credible sources in the Taliban’s Justice Ministry say the commission for recovering seized land plans to review Hazara and Shia townships and properties across several Afghan provinces. A community elder from western Kabul told Afghanistan International: “The Hazaras do not want conflict with the Taliban, but the Justice Ministry is making provocative decisions
8am: Several local workers in Andarab district, Baghlan province, are complaining about the Taliban’s ban on gold panning activities. They say the management of gold extraction has been handed over to individuals affiliated with the Taliban from Kandahar province, and when they protested this decision, they faced a violent response from Taliban forces. These workers