Afghan Journalist, Who Fled Afghanistan Fearing Taliban Reprisal, Offers to Sell Kidney

The UN agency while admitting to challenges of assisting female-headed households said that it is mostly because of the latest Taliban ban on the work of Afghan women.

Recently, the Taliban has banned women from working with non-governmental organisations in Afghanistan.

Aid organisations have repeatedly stated that without female employees, they cannot help women and children in need in Afghanistan.

In a letter to Twitter Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, the lawmakers sought clarification regarding Twitter’s verification process and how it vets users’ identities.

According to the Washington Times, Pat Fallon, Keith Self, Ronny Jackson, and James Moylan, members of the US House of Representatives, warned Musk that terror groups may find loopholes to amplify their propaganda on Twitter.

The lawmakers have stressed in their letter that the United States doesn’t recognise the Taliban as a legitimate government in Afghanistan.

The representatives added, "We cannot allow these murderous groups to abuse American-based platforms to suppress women, religious freedom, democracy, and ethnic minorities."

After Twitter implemented a new subscription-based policy for buying verified blue ticks, several Taliban-associated accounts on Twitter have purchased blue ticks and share pro-Taliban content to thousands of followers on a daily basis.

According to SIGAR, USAID may go through MoU approvals on a case-by-case basis.

SIGAR said that since the US government doesn’t recognise Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, USAID officials wouldn’t be able to witness document signing as is required by the organisation’s grant agreements.

So far, no government in the world has recognised the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, Taliban has said that the group enjoys diplomatic relations with regional countries.

RSF and 14 French media outlets, with whom Behboudi has worked, issued a statement asking for his immediate release.

In a joint statement issued by 16 French media organisations, it was stated that on 15 January, Behboudi’s mobile phone called the assistance unit at Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and no message was left. According to RSF, it is impossible to know whether it was Behboudi who called or whether one of his jailers used his phone.

According to the information obtained by Reporters Without Borders, Behboudi has been arrested by the Taliban after entering Afghanistan, when he was trying to obtain a media work permit.

After he spent 11 days in one of the Taliban prisons in Kabul, this group accused him of "spying" and transferred him to another prison.

AIHRC in a statement called on the European Union to engage with the Taliban and work towards the release of Delawarzai.

The commission also expressed concern about the safety of the family members of Delawarzai and demanded clear measures to provide them with life without fear.

Elaha Delawarzai, a student of Kabul Medical University, released a video clip on August 30, 2022, and alleged that Saeed Khosty, the former spokesperson of the Taliban's Ministry of Interior, "raped" and "forcibly" married her.

In the video, Delawarzai revealed how she had been tortured and her family being pressured by Taliban members.

Delawarzai’s family said that almost three months back, she managed to escape to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, but soon had been kidnapped by the Haqqani network of the Taliban and is now in a Taliban prison in Kabul.