UNAMA Highlights Human Rights Violations of Hazaras, Shia Community in New Report

The report highlighted how between June and August, there had been alleged killings of Hazaras and destruction of property and agricultural crops belonging to Hazara farmers in Khas Uruzgan district of Uruzgan province.

UNAMA in the report stated that there were allegations that local Taliban security forces might have been involved in these incidents.

Also, the UN organisation stressed that between January and September, it recorded killings of at least six Hazara residents, destruction of property, and incidents of beatings.

Meanwhile, it also added that there had been many violations of rights of Shia community members. Citing examples, it stated that on July 25 and 26, in Kabul, Taliban security forces reportedly mistreated Shia mourners for not adhering to previously announced security arrangements.

The report highlighted how on July 28, in Ghazni city, Taliban security personnel fired upon a crowd of Shia mourners, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including a child and a woman.

While stressing on human rights violations, the report also spoke about arbitrary arrests and detentions and said that the Taliban officials continue to arrest human rights defenders, particularly women’s rights activists, and media workers without specifying grounds for detention.

UNAMA touched upon the state of freedom of the media in the country under the Taliban as well. The report stated that there have been concerns among media personnel regarding potential increased pressure and censorship by the Taliban authorities.

The closure of a radio and TV station, Hamisha Bahar, in Jalalabad city on August 1 for running mixed-gender journalism classes further heightened concerns about media freedom, the report said.

The report also had details of how the Taliban continues to enforce restrictions on women, including a ban on music and monitoring men’s appearance.

“The Taliban officials have publicly implemented corporal punishments of convicted individuals, including large groups, in various parts of the country,” the report added on the issue of the deteriorating judicial system.

UNAMA in the report stated that there were allegations that local Taliban security forces might have been involved in these incidents.

Also, the UN organisation stressed that between January and September, it recorded killings of at least six Hazara residents, destruction of property, and incidents of beatings.

The report highlighted how on July 28, in Ghazni city, Taliban security personnel fired upon a crowd of Shia mourners, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including a child and a woman.

The closure of a radio and TV station, Hamisha Bahar, in Jalalabad city on August 1 for running mixed-gender journalism classes further heightened concerns about media freedom, the report said.

The report also had details of how the Taliban continues to enforce restrictions on women, including a ban on music and monitoring men’s appearance.

Media Pressure On Taliban Saved His life, Says Afghan Journalist Behboudi

Oct 24, 2023, 09:43 GMT+1

Mortaza Behboudi, an Afghan journalist who was released after spending 284 days inside Taliban prison, said that constant pressure by the media on the group saved his life.

Christophe Deloire, the Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), also called the media coverage of Behboudi's arrest "extraordinary".

During a press conference at the headquarters of RSF in France he said, "Without the media, I wouldn't be alive.”

He thanked Afghanistan International and other media outlets for covering his detention and the international campaign for his release.

Deloire added that the media coverage "has sent an extraordinarily important message to the Taliban”.

Behboudi arrived in Kabul in January to report on the situation in Afghanistan. Two days later, he was arrested by the Taliban on suspicion of "espionage”. After enduring 284 days in Taliban’s detention, he was released on October 18.

This journalist spoke about his experience inside the Kabul Central Prison and said that about 1,200 other political prisoners were also kept there.

According to him, he was repeatedly interrogated and tortured by the Taliban, and said that he did not think he would make it out alive.

Behboudi said that after five court sessions, he was finally found not guilty and was released on the condition of submitting his “future articles to the Taliban for approval before publication".

Afghan Refugee Commits Suicide In Indonesia

Oct 23, 2023, 15:53 GMT+1

Several sources in Indonesia confirmed that an Afghan refugee committed suicide in the "Tanjung Pinang" city of this country.

They said that the 27-year-old hanged himself in his room on Sunday evening "due to mental stress from a difficult life in Indonesia".

A source said, "Indonesian police have requested 30 million Indonesian rupiah to transport the body of the man to Jakarta. Consequently, the Afghan refugees have been unable to retrieve the body from the hospital so far."

The sources said that the family members of this young man are in Australia and have paid 12,000 dollars to an Australian company to transfer his body to Jakarta.

Earlier, several Afghan refugees in Indonesia held a protest rally in front of the United Nations office in Makassar city and demanded that their immigration cases be processed.

Afghan immigrants in Indonesia grapple with an uncertain future, separation from family, and immigration-related restrictions. The prolonged duration of this situation, spanning several years, has placed some of them under significant psychological pressure.

Afghan Political Party Conducts Online Poll On Future Political System of Afghanistan

Oct 23, 2023, 15:04 GMT+1

The National Congress Party of Afghanistan initiated an online poll, termed the "right to self-determination”, regarding the future political system of Afghanistan.

In the poll, the participants were asked to choose "Islamic Emirate", "Presidential Republic", "Federal Republic" or “Partition” as their choice for the future of Afghanistan.

On Monday, in a statement, the party wrote, "Following the announcement of the poll results, the National Congress Party will take practical political measures to achieve it, respecting the option that the majority of people have agreed to."

Latif Pedram, the leader of the National Congress Party of Afghanistan, has said several times that the centralisation of power is the fundamental problem of citizens of Afghanistan, and he believes that this challenge can be addressed through the establishment of a "federal republic system”.

He also said that if the supporters of the centralised presidential republic insist on the centralisation of power and are not ready to talk about the establishment of a federal republic and the "fair power sharing among all ethnic groups in the country", he does not hesitate to go for partition of Afghanistan.

Afghan Refugees Protest In Front Of German Embassy In Tehran

Oct 23, 2023, 13:31 GMT+1

A group of Afghan asylum seekers held a demonstration in front of the German embassy in Tehran to protest against the delayed processing of their asylum applications in Germany.

Protesters said that they have lost patience due to long waiting times for their asylum interviews.

In a video clip sent to Afghanistan International from Monday's demonstration, children, women and men can be seen holding placards that read: "Don't separate us from our families with long waiting time”.

In October 2022, the German foreign ministry had announced a programme to transfer 1,000 Afghan refugees to Germany every month.

According to the programme, priority would be given to the transfer of those who were active in justice, politics, media, education, culture, sport or academic sectors.

A year after the announcement of the programme, an organisation called "Kabul Luftbrücke" has said that only 13 Afghans have been transferred to Germany during this period. Kabul Luftbrücke operates to relocate at-risk refugees from Afghanistan to Germany.

However, Germany has sheltered thousands of Afghan refugees since the Taliban took over the power in 2021. Reports indicate that Germany has approved the transfer of over 1,400 of more than 30,000 Afghan applications since August 2021.

Polio Vaccination Campaign Starts In 14 Provinces Of Afghanistan

Oct 23, 2023, 12:04 GMT+1

The polio vaccination campaign for children started on October 23 in 14 provinces of Afghanistan.

Children under the age of five will be vaccinated in Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan, Parwan, Kapisa, Kabul, Kunar, Nuristan, Laghman, Nangarhar, Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Ghazni provinces.

Residents of these provinces have been urged to vaccinate their children so that this disease can be eradicated in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are two countries in the world that have not yet succeeded in eradicating polio.

Earlier, health officials in Afghanistan had warned that this disease is increasing rapidly in the country.

According to these officials, this year at least six positive cases of polio have been registered in Nangarhar province.

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