Afghanistan International: Taliban intelligence officers have subjected detainees to physical, sexual and psychological torture, sometimes for “entertainment,” according to a new report by the Afghan human rights Rawadari. Rawadari’s findings indicate that torture was used not only as a tool for extracting forced confessions but also to suppress dissent, punish former government employees and intimidate
aeon: My name is Marjan. In 1996, when the Taliban first took over Afghanistan, I was 12 years old. We lived in Kabul. My father was perpetually unemployed and I could never understand why. While he didn’t do anything to provide for his family, he smoked hashish, which my mother had to pay for. My
Khaama: Over 10 countries condemned Afghanistan’s human rights violations, urging international accountability and justice, especially for women, vulnerable groups, and marginalized communities. Countries including Canada, Italy, Indonesia, Qatar, Ireland, South Africa, and Switzerland voiced deep concerns about the systematic suppression of women’s rights and gender-based violence under the Taliban regime. Delegates called for greater international
Amu: The teachers, some of whom have worked for decades within Afghanistan’s public school system, are protesting the abrupt loss of livelihood and demanding that their owed wages be paid. In addition to dismissals, female educators report that their salaries have been repeatedly cut and some have been reassigned to distant schools under Taliban orders.
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s Directorate for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat province has instructed the local traffic authority to ban women from driving, according to an official letter obtained by local media. The letter, signed by Sheikh Azizurrahman Muhajir, head of the directorate, claims that “women are incapable of learning
8am: Several families of former Afghan government military personnel report that, despite the Taliban’s announcement of a general amnesty, they face surveillance, interrogation, and threats from the group due to their familial ties to former security forces. They state that Taliban members have repeatedly visited their homes, demanding information about the whereabouts of their military
The Guardian (UK): When the rules were announced, it was unclear how a relatively small number of “morality police” employed by the Taliban would enforce and implement these rules. Yet, in the months since the rules were announced, it has been fathers, brothers and husbands who have become, in effect, unpaid foot soldiers imposing the
Amu: Several women employed by United Nations agencies in Afghanistan say Taliban have escalated threats against their families in a bid to force them to quit their jobs, raising alarm over the safety of humanitarian workers and the future of international aid operations in the country. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Rahim Sekandar, a prominent pro-Taliban figure on social media, has confirmed that he is currently being held by the group. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote: “I am imprisoned by the Taliban’s Reform Commission. A few days ago, I criticised the remarks of Mawlawi Saeedullah Saeed, but now
By Abubakar Siddique and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi June 5, 2025 The Taliban declared dissent unacceptable after returning to power nearly four years ago. Since then, it has detained, tortured, or forced into exile secular opponents, journalists, and human rights activists. Now the country’s de facto leaders appear to be broadening their crackdown to include Islamic