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Reports and Analysis Original reporting by the Afghan Witness team 9 Oct 2024 Boy found dead after accusing Taliban members of sexual abuse Boy allegedly killed by Taliban after accusing multiple commanders of rape in Farah province interrogation video Read more 9 Oct 2024 Taliban destroy Hazara landmark amid roadworks in Kabul Abdul Ali Mazari monument demolished during roadworks in Hazara-majority area of Dasht-e Barchi Read more 9 Oct 2024 ICJ gender discrimination case: online responses International Court of Justice case against Taliban triggers social media campaigns from both supporters and critics Read more 9 Oct 2024 Taliban announce tighter controls on media, scholars, and online platforms Taliban ban TikTok and PUBG, restrict controversial discussions in media and target political analysts Read more 24 Sept 2024 ISKP massacres group of Hazara in Central Afghanistan ISKP’s third attack in the region since August 2021 kills at least 14 men. Read more 24 Sept 2024 Closure of Afghan diplomatic missions in Europe sparks protests and concern over Taliban control Taliban halts cooperation with diplomatic missions not under their control, protests against engagement with Taliban by Western countries. Read more 24 Sept 2024 Border clashes between Taliban and Pakistan Propaganda war erupts as both sides share misleading information after days-long clashes. Read more 23 Sept 2024 Noor Fellowship: meet the fellows and discover their work Their research offers fresh perspectives on key issues and under-reported stories concerning land rights, media freedom, and women’s digital activism in Afghanistan. Read more 9 Sept 2024 Taliban’s new vice and virtue law targets women, minorities, and media The Taliban's new vice and virtue law, ratified in July 2024, mandates severe restrictions on women's dress, public behaviour, and transportation, while also imposing limitations on the media and minorities. Read more 9 Sept 2024 Social media activists arrested in eastern Afghanistan In August 2024, the Taliban arrested two social media activists, Khetabullah Bangakh and Abdul Rahman Gulab, for spreading anti-Taliban content. Both were featured in confession videos pledging support to the Taliban. Read more Load more

​ ​ 9 Oct 2024

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ICJ gender discrimination case: online responses International Court of Justice case against Taliban triggers social media campaigns from both supporters and critics 9 Oct 2024 Feature image: X/@ZiaurahmanZala3 On 25 September 2024, The Guardian was briefed that Canada , Australia , Germany , and the Netherlands plan to file a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the Taliban for gender discrimination, under the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), which was ratified by the former government of Afghanistan in 2003. It is expected that Afghanistan, under the Taliban, will have six months to respond before the ICJ holds a hearing and potentially proposes provisional measures. Advocates believe that even if the Taliban rejects the court’s authority, a ruling by the ICJ against the group could deter other countries from normalising relations with them. Anti-Taliban groups including the National Resistance Front ( NRF ), the Afghanistan Freedom Front ( AFF ), and the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan ( NRCSA ), as well as Afghan women rights activists , welcomed the initiative to hold the Taliban accountable on women’s rights. In response to the report, Taliban Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat dismissed allegations of discrimination against women as baseless in a 26 September 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), which was subsequently reposted by Taliban Spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid. Fitrat’s post reads: “The accusation by certain countries against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan for human rights violations and gender discrimination is absurd. In Afghanistan, human rights are protected, and no one is discriminated against. Unfortunately, efforts are underway to spread propaganda against Afghanistan based on false information from a few women and make the situation look wrong.” Pro-Taliban accounts on X responded to news of the lawsuit by launching a campaign aimed at promoting the Taliban’s narrative, while discrediting or downplaying claims about the deprivation of women’s rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. AW reviewed posts from various pro-Taliban accounts between 25 September and 1 October 2024, to analyse their response to the issue. Several pro-Taliban accounts with thousands of followers posted videos of Afghan women working in both the public and private sectors, including police and businesswomen , to prove that women were not entirely absent from the system. They also shared a video of Deputy Prime Minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, from August 2024 , claiming that 85,000 women were currently employed within the Taliban’s health, education, and security sectors. Claiming that Islam grants true rights to women, and noting that Afghan women are currently secure , some pro-Taliban accounts shared a random video depicting the arrest of a woman by male policeman in America , as well as a photo showing a woman with a man who coloured himself like a dog, arguing that this is the kind of "freedom and rights" Westerners seek for Afghan women. Omar Baryal, a Taliban propagandist with 65,000 followers on X, dismissed accusations of gender discrimination against the Taliban administration, claiming international organisations lack the moral authority to criticise them. He further argued that they should focus on addressing human rights violations in Palestine instead. Another pro-Taliban account, with nearly 12,000 followers, claimed that women in the West were treated as labourers and objects for satisfying the sexual desires of men. Additionally, some pro-Taliban accounts sha red videos of Afghan women and girls wearing hijabs, asserting that those living abroad and advocating for women’s rights in Afghanistan do not represent them. These accounts claimed that Afghan women were able to speak for themselves, and were content with the rights provided by the Taliban. In one video shared by a pro-Taliban account with over 266,000 followers, a woman wearing hijab stated that Fawzia Koofi and Shukria Barakzai (former female Afghan parliamentarians) , along with Aryana Saeed (a renowned female Afghan singer) , have no authority to represent her or other Afghan Muslim women, despite their claims to do so. AW observed that this video was posted by hundreds of pro-Taliban accounts , including several with over 100,000 followers , and note that it was previously circulated by pro-Taliban accounts in March 2024 . Another video , where a pro-Taliban woman speaks in English and delivers the same message—that Afghan women abroad are not their representatives—was similarly posted by more than a hundred accounts , including prominent ones with tens of thousands to over 100,000 followers . The logo on the English-language video indicates that it was created and released by the pro-Taliban Uruj media channel, for the first time on 28 September 2024 . Female pro-Taliban activist Hafiza Ayesha Emirati , along with several other pro-Taliban accounts using female names, actively contributed to the campaign by posting and reposting various content, including videos and photos . Share

Filter by Tags Reports & Analysis Original reporting by the Afgha n Witness team 9 Oct 2024 Boy found dead after accusing Taliban members of sexual abuse Boy allegedly killed by Taliban after accusing multiple commanders of rape in Farah province interrogation video Read here 9 Oct 2024 ICJ gender discrimination case: online responses International Court of Justice case against Taliban triggers social media campaigns from both supporters and critics Read here 24 Sept 2024 ISKP massacres group of Hazara in Central Afghanistan ISKP’s third attack in the region since August 2021 kills at least 14 men. Read here 24 Sept 2024 Border clashes between Taliban and Pakistan Propaganda war erupts as both sides share misleading information after days-long clashes. Read here 9 Sept 2024 Taliban’s new vice and virtue law targets women, minorities, and media The Taliban's new vice and virtue law, ratified in July 2024, mandates severe restrictions on women's dress, public behaviour, and transportation, while also imposing limitations on the media and minorities. Read here 9 Oct 2024 Taliban destroy Hazara landmark amid roadworks in Kabul Abdul Ali Mazari monument demolished during roadworks in Hazara-majority area of Dasht-e Barchi Read here 9 Oct 2024 Taliban announce tighter controls on media, scholars, and online platforms Taliban ban TikTok and PUBG, restrict controversial discussions in media and target political analysts Read here 24 Sept 2024 Closure of Afghan diplomatic missions in Europe sparks protests and concern over Taliban control Taliban halts cooperation with diplomatic missions not under their control, protests against engagement with Taliban by Western countries. Read here 23 Sept 2024 Noor Fellowship: meet the fellows and discover their work Their research offers fresh perspectives on key issues and under-reported stories concerning land rights, media freedom, and women’s digital activism in Afghanistan. Read here 9 Sept 2024 Social media activists arrested in eastern Afghanistan In August 2024, the Taliban arrested two social media activists, Khetabullah Bangakh and Abdul Rahman Gulab, for spreading anti-Taliban content. Both were featured in confession videos pledging support to the Taliban. Read here View More

To survey How to use our map View map Home: Our Misson Latest Reports Boy found dead after accusing Taliban members of sexual abuse Boy allegedly killed by Taliban after accusing multiple commanders of rape in Farah province interrogation video Taliban announce tighter controls on media, scholars, and online platforms Taliban ban TikTok and PUBG, restrict controversial discussions in media and target political analysts ICJ gender discrimination case: online responses International Court of Justice case against Taliban triggers social media campaigns from both supporters and critics Taliban destroy Hazara landmark amid roadworks in Kabul Abdul Ali Mazari monument demolished during roadworks in Hazara-majority area of Dasht-e Barchi Closure of Afghan diplomatic missions in Europe sparks protests and concern over Taliban control Taliban halts cooperation with diplomatic missions not under their control, protests against engagement with Taliban by Western countries. Border clashes between Taliban and Pakistan Propaganda war erupts as both sides share misleading information after days-long clashes. ISKP massacres group of Hazara in Central Afghanistan ISKP’s third attack in the region since August 2021 kills at least 14 men. Noor Fellowship: meet the fellows and discover their work Their research offers fresh perspectives on key issues and under-reported stories concerning land rights, media freedom, and women’s digital activism in Afghanistan. Taliban sportswashing using Afghan cricket team Afghanistan’s cricket team’s meeting with Taliban leaders sparks accusations of sportswashing, with many condemning the move as an attempt to normalise Taliban rule. Social media activists arrested in eastern Afghanistan In August 2024, the Taliban arrested two social media activists, Khetabullah Bangakh and Abdul Rahman Gulab, for spreading anti-Taliban content. Both were featured in confession videos pledging support to the Taliban. Truck driver protest in Herat met with violence A protest by truck drivers in Herat on 28 August 2024 over Taliban-imposed costs and preferential treatment turned violent when Taliban forces reportedly opened fire, wounding at least one protester. Taliban’s new vice and virtue law targets women, minorities, and media The Taliban's new vice and virtue law, ratified in July 2024, mandates severe restrictions on women's dress, public behaviour, and transportation, while also imposing limitations on the media and minorities. More Reports In the Press Home: Who we are For Witnesses For journalists Anchor 1 Home: Contact Strengthening reporting Our database of verified information is available in the form of the interactive Afghan Witness Map , designed to support journalists, researchers and policymakers in their reporting and analysis. Further data from our database of visual evidence and claims is also shared with organisations and journalists upon request. While our work is rooted in open source verification, our interviews with Afghans from a variety of backgrounds shed light on the impacts of the issues we monitor daily. These testimonies are available in an anonymised form for journalists and international media to report on. For Witnesses We provide a secure solution for anyone who has witnessed a human rights incident in Afghanistan and wants to ensure their digital evidence is recorded, analysed and stored in order to hold perpetrators to account. Afghan Witness will investigate and, where possible, verify information submitted through the portal. Evidence can be uploaded anonymously – safeguarding the identities of witnesses and those providing information is of the utmost importance. Upload Evidence View map Subscribe below for in-depth reports, stories, and our monthly newsletter. First name Enter your email address I agree to the terms & conditions View terms of use Subscribe Thanks for submitting! Top of Page Strengthening the information environment Part of our work focuses on building community and strengthening the capabilities of the Afghan diaspora and international organisations to collect, analyse and record information in a way that is verifiable and in accordance with international accountability mechanisms. We do this through training, collaboration, skill swapping, information sharing and through our grants and fellowship program.

​ ​ 9 Oct 2024

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Taliban announce tighter controls on media, scholars, and online platforms Taliban ban TikTok and PUBG, restrict controversial discussions in media and target political analysts 9 Oct 2024 On 20 September 2024, Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid published a statement on X (formerly Twitter) from the Taliban’s Prime Minister Hasan Akhund “on preventing controversial discussions and debates.” The full statement , comprising eight directives, addresses religious scholars, and insists that they avoid discussing controversial and divisive issues in the media. The statement also asks scholars not to discuss complex issues and those related to Sufism, arguing such discussions are for “particular audiences.” The directives against discussing topics related to Sufism have reportedly faced backlash and condemnation. The directives also ask the public and those in charge of religious schools not to facilitate or invite “those scholars who incite disputes, promote superstitions, continue to use discussions, debates, and inappropriate language in public media, and create doubt and discord among the people do so to gain popularity or vent their frustrations.” On 23 September 2024, the Afghanistan Journalists Centre (AJC) further reported that the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture had notified media personnel of the new restrictions in a meeting conducted on 21 September 2024. AJC claimed they had obtained a copy of the document, which outlines eight restrictions on media, including a ban on the live broadcast of debates, criticism of Taliban officials, laws and policies. The document also warns of consequences in the case of violations, and includes a list of “experts” approved by the Taliban to give interviews, commanding media outlets to request approval from the Media Oversight Directorate of the Ministry of Information and Culture should they decide to include a name not mentioned on the list. The AJC also claimed that they had accessed the list of Taliban-approved experts with 68 names, but did not enclose the list in the report. On 26 September 2024, a list was circulated on X which claimed to contain the names of 64 “experts” approved by the Taliban, including Taliban officials and government staff , as well as pro-Taliban individuals. Two of the pro-Taliban individuals contained in the list were women, including Farah Mujahid, an individual based in Germany who has appeared in the media supporting the Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women. The list also includes the names of a former MP and pro-Taliban ethnic Hazara Jafar Mahdavi , and Hezb-e Islami affiliated Fazel-Minallah Mumtaz. On 24 September 2024, 8am Media reported that several Taliban officials had travelled to Herat province. 8am Media claimed that the representatives had instructed media in the Western zone (provinces in west Afghanistan) to act as a “propaganda tool” for the group's Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Ministry. Additionally, the officials directed Taliban media staff and spokespeople in the Western zone not to discuss security issues with media or topics that might jeopardise Taliban interests. Moreover, journalists told 8am Media that the Taliban were seeking to confront Afghan media operating from abroad, accusing them of “committing cultural invasion and spreading rumours.” Taliban block access to “immoral” websites, applications and TikTok On 21 September 2024, the Taliban’s Ministry of Communication and Information and Technology (MCIT) announced that they had monitored the filtering of “immoral sites” and applications, such as TikTok and the online multiplayer game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), and blocked their access countrywide through the use of telecommunication companies in Kabul. According to the ministry, the services of five telecommunications companies, Afghan Wireless, Etisalat, Salam, MTN and Roshan in Kabul, were monitored and reviewed to ensure the websites and applications were blocked. The ministry posted a table alongside a week-long assessment of the websites. In the table, the websites and applications were marked as “blocked” by all service providers in Kabul. PUBG is reported to be a popular video game in Afghanistan, with around 100,000 players using the service at peak times. The former Afghan government also deemed the game harmful and had planned to ban its use. Figure: Table shared by the Taliban’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on X on 21 September 2024. The table title reads: “ Evaluation of one-week filtering of immoral websites in Kabul province.” Similarly, TikTok is used increasingly by younger Afghans, with estimates ranging from 325,000 to 2 million users in Afghanistan. Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akund had reportedly ordered the closure of TikTok and PUBG in 2022, claiming that the social media site was misleading the younger generation. Despite the order, pro-Taliban social media activist Mobeen Khan continued to use an account on TikTok with 195.9K followers, and his latest post was on 28 June 2024. AW investigators also noted several other pro-Taliban accounts on TikTok, some regularly posting videos until 9 February 2024 . Sources in Balkh province confirmed to AW that TikTok had been banned in the country as of 27 September 2024, but they remained able to access the application using a Visual Private Network (VPN). Taliban prosecution and punishment of political analysts and journalists During the same time period, AW recorded several arrests and sentencings of political analysts and journalists. On 27 September 2024, Afghanistan International reported that on 26 September 2024, Jawid Kohistani, a political analyst based in Kabul, had been detained by the Taliban. On 29 September 2024, Amu TV reported the detention of another political analyst, Khyber Hoshmand, in Kabul. According to Amu, Hoshmand was arrested by the Taliban on 22 September 2024 in Police District (PD) 8 of Kabul. Also on 29 September 2024, several Afghan media outlets reported that the Taliban’s military court had sentenced two journalists, Aref Hijran and Ahmad Kamran, to 10 years of imprisonment, following their arrests in July 2024. Hijran was reportedly sentenced for photographing Taliban checkpoints and Ashura commemorations. Share

Human Stories Original interviews with Afghans on how their lives have changed since the Taliban takeover Up Load more Stories List Gawhar Before the Taliban’s takeover, Gawhar had been preparing for university. Now she spends her days as a carpet weaver in Pakistan. Read More Sofia University graduate Sofia grew up hearing "tales" of the Taliban, but says she now faces the "same fate" her mother faced. Read More Frozan After the closure of girls’ secondary schools and then an attack on her education centre, a student says her hopes have been dashed by the Taliban’s recent university ban for women. Read More Parnian A student recalls the day the Taliban closed universities to women. Read More Fatana A doctor says that many of her new patients are schoolgirls who have lost hope. Read More Arseen An LGBTQ activist fled Afghanistan after receiving death threats from the Taliban. Now in Iran, he faces uncertainty over his future. Read More Maihan While studying for a PhD in Pakistan, university lecturer Maihan had her income cut-off by the Taliban. Now she faces poverty in Afghanistan. Read More Rahima The owner of a Kabul beauty salon says her business is facing increasing uncertainty. Read More Morwarid A young entrepreneur struggles to keep her business afloat amid Taliban restrictions. Read More Sakhi After leaving Afghanistan, Sakhi faces new challenges in Pakistan. Read More Malalai Pen Path volunteer Malalai refuses to let anything get in the way of her campaigning for educational rights. Read More Aqlima Until last August, Aqlima was campaigning to get more women into cycling, but since the Taliban’s return, women are unable to participate in sports. Read More

Human Stories Original interviews with Afghans on how their lives have changed since the Taliban takeover 10 Oct 2024 ​ ​ Read here پښتو فارسی 14 Feb 2023 Sofia University graduate Sofia grew up hearing "tales" of the Taliban, but says she now faces the "same fate" her mother faced. Read here پښتو فارسی 12 Jan 2023 Parnian A student recalls the day the Taliban closed universities to women. Read here پښتو فارسی 15 Nov 2022 Arseen An LGBTQ activist fled Afghanistan after receiving death threats from the Taliban. Now in Iran, he faces uncertainty over his future. Read here پښتو فارسی 9 Sept 2022 Rahima The owner of a Kabul beauty salon says her business is facing increasing uncertainty. Read here پښتو فارسی 22 Jul 2022 Sakhi After leaving Afghanistan, Sakhi faces new challenges in Pakistan. Read here پښتو فارسی 21 Mar 2023 Gawhar Before the Taliban’s takeover, Gawhar had been preparing for university. Now she spends her days as a carpet weaver in Pakistan. Read here پښتو فارسی 25 Jan 2023 Frozan After the closure of girls’ secondary schools and then an attack on her education centre, a student says her hopes have been dashed by the Taliban’s recent university ban for women. Read here پښتو فارسی 7 Dec 2022 Fatana A doctor says that many of her new patients are schoolgirls who have lost hope. Read here پښتو فارسی 3 Nov 2022 Maihan While studying for a PhD in Pakistan, university lecturer Maihan had her income cut-off by the Taliban. Now she faces poverty in Afghanistan. Read here پښتو فارسی 22 Aug 2022 Morwarid A young entrepreneur struggles to keep her business afloat amid Taliban restrictions. Read here پښتو فارسی 4 Jul 2022 Malalai Pen Path volunteer Malalai refuses to let anything get in the way of her campaigning for educational rights. Read here پښتو فارسی Filter by Tags View More

Boy found dead after accusing Taliban members of sexual abuse Boy allegedly killed by Taliban after accusing multiple commanders of rape in Farah province interrogation video 9 Oct 2024 On 19 September 2024 a video circulated on a number of accounts on X (formerly Twitter) showing an unnamed teenage boy from Farah province being interrogated by an (unpictured) male individual. In the 2:20-minute video, the boy claims that several Taliban members in Farah province had forced him into sodomy on 15 occasions. The first four counts were alleged to have been carried out by a specific Taliban member, however, the name of the perpetrator was not given and it is likely that the video constituted a section of a longer interrogation. The boy then names three “mujhahid” [Taliban members] as having carried out 11 of the rapes, Abdul Hadi, Musa Lawang, and Jamu Junaid. The boy also claimed that the individuals paid him 200-400 Afghani (approximately GBP 2 -5) in each instance, whilst forcing him into sex. Further details, including when the incidents took place, were not given in the video of the interview, although from the boy’s description, it appears likely that the counts of rape may have occurred over an extended period. Where and when the video was recorded was not stated, however, the tone and content of the male individual’s questioning suggests the boy may have been subject to formal interrogation (for example, during questioning, the male individual asks the boy to repent). AW also matched a blanket visible in the room where the boy was interrogated with a blanket in imagery from a post from July 2023 from the crimes investigation department of Farah’s police command. Therefore, AW assesses as likely that the boy may have been detained for questioning at the time the video was recorded. Figure: (Left) A photo from inside the crimes investigation department of Farah’s police command, shared in a post published in July 2023. (Right) A still image of the teenager (victim) taken from the video interrogation. A similar blanket is identified in both imagery (yellow rectangles). In addition to the three names identified by the boy, a fourth name may have been redacted from the video. Additional reporting from media outlets also claimed the identity of another perpetrator, on top of those named in the video. On 22 September 2024, Canada-based Zala News reported that an investigator at the Crimes Investigation Department of Farah’s Police Command had interrogated the boy, and that the boy had also mentioned “Obaidullah, also known as Khadim” as a perpetrator. Zala News claimed that Khadim was a Taliban commander and served as a special guard and driver for the Taliban’s police chief in Balkh. Zawia News reported on 23 September that a fourth convict in the case was Abdullah Khadim. According to Zawia News, Khadim is a Taliban commander and a special guard for Abdul Raziq Rashid, the Taliban’s police chief in Balkh. AW assesses that both news outlets are likely referring to the same person, who is not named in the excerpt of interrogation shared online. While little is known about Abdullah Khadim, AW verified that his senior, Abdul Raziq Rashid, has served as police chief for Balkh province since January 2024 . An Instagram post from May 2024 suggests that Abdul Raziq Rashid is a native of Farah province. Death of the boy following publication of the allegations On 23 September 2024, Zawia News reported that a Taliban member had killed the teenager in Farah following the interview which had circulated online the previous day. Sources told Zawia News that Abdullah Khadim, who the boy had not mentioned in the published video, had gone to Farah and shot and killed the boy, following allegations of Khadim’s involvement in the rapes. According to the news agency, Abdullah Khadim has since returned to his duty in Balkh. The report claimed Khadim was a native of Kansk village of the Balabulok district of Farah, and a relative of the police chief for Balkh. It also included a photo of the boy from his interrogation, and a photo of his body with blood stains on his face. While pro-Taliban users on X refute the reports about the abuse and the killing of the boy, AW has identified that the facial features of the body match those of the boy in the video interrogation. Several X users from Farah also confirmed the death of the boy. AW did not find any further information regarding the family or relatives of the boy, nor any complaint from them about the boy being abused or killed. This is likely due to social stigma regarding sexual abuse amongst Afghan communities, as well as fear of reprisals from Taliban members and authorities, which may have prevented victim and family members from seeking justice. It is highly likely that the boy was killed following the interrogation to prevent him from furthering the allegations or providing any additional identifying information, however, the extent of Abdullah Khadim’s involvement in the rapes or killing of the teenage boy could not be verified. Share