In a concerning development, Abdul Rahim Mohammadi, an Afghan journalist working for Kabul's Tamadon TV, was reportedly detained by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul.
According to a family member, Mohammadi disappeared last Monday following a summons by the Taliban intelligence agency and has not returned home since.
Whilst Tamadon TV and local journalist support organisations are reportedly working to secure his release, there has been no official acknowledgement of Mohammadi's detention by either Tamadon TV or the Taliban.
This incident highlights the escalating challenges faced by independent media in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban's return to power over two years ago, approximately half of the country's media outlets have ceased operations, and around 70% of media personnel have lost their jobs, as reported by a media support group. This situation underscores the increasing pressure on non-governmental media and their employees in the country.
Marking International Human Rights Day, Rina Amiri, the US Special Representative for Women, Girls, and Human Rights in Afghanistan, has appealed to the Taliban for the release of female activists currently in detention.
Amiri emphasised that activists like Zholia Parsi, Manizha Seddiqi, Neda Parwani, Parisa Azada, and others, who are human rights defenders, deserve recognition rather than punishment.
In a statement on X social platform, Amiri highlighted that these women were imprisoned "for courageously standing up for the rights of the Afghan people." She reiterated her previous stance that the Taliban's discriminatory practices against women and girls rank among the most severe human rights violations globally.
Amiri also stressed the need for accountability for those complicit in oppressing Afghan women and girls. Under the Taliban's two-year rule, there has been a pattern of arresting critics, particularly women protesters. Since seizing power, the Taliban has enforced extensive restrictions on women, affecting multiple aspects of social and personal life and infringing upon their fundamental human rights.
Periodically, women have taken to the streets to protest against the Taliban's oppressive measures, showcasing their resilience and demand for basic rights and freedoms.
Karen Decker, the US Chargé d'Affaires for Afghanistan, has said that the US will "hold accountable" two Taliban officials for violating the rights of half of the Afghan population.
Earlier, the US Treasury Department had imposed sanctions on Khalid Hanafi, Taliban’s Minister of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and Fariduddin Mahmood, head of the Afghanistan Academy of Sciences.
On Saturday, Decker wrote on X social media platform that Hanafi and Mahmood are complicit in serious human rights abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan.
On Friday, the US Treasury Department stated that these two Taliban officials are supporters of the prohibition on girls' education beyond the sixth grade.
Hanafi and Mahmood are among the people close to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban.
These two senior Taliban officials are among the five members opposing the reopening of girls' schools due to their extreme views.
Following the takeover of power in Afghanistan, the Taliban closed girls' schools beyond the sixth grade and banned girls from attending university.
Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtues and Prevention of Vice has imposed strict regulations against women over the past two years. The ministry has banned women from traveling, going to parks, and restaurants, and taking part in sports activities.
In addition, the Taliban has consistently suppressed women's protests, arrested women's rights activists, and subjected them to torture.
Rina Amiri, the US Special Representative for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, has condemned the Taliban's discriminatory policies against women and girls as among the most "heinous" human rights violations globally.
Amiri expressed her views on X social media platform this Friday, emphasising the need for accountability for those suppressing Afghan women and girls.
Her statement came shortly after the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on two Taliban cabinet members for their significant roles in restricting women's rights and perpetrating widespread human rights abuses. The sanctioned individuals include Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and Fariduddin Mahmood, head of the Afghanistan Academy of Sciences.
Amiri's message reinforced the urgency of holding those responsible accountable: "We must continue to hold accountable those involved in repressing the women, and girls of Afghanistan.”
This announcement coincided with the end of the academic year in Afghanistan on 7 December. On this day, hundreds of thousands of female students completed their 6th-grade education. However, the Taliban's directive has barred these young girls from continuing their education in secondary schools.
Emotional scenes unfolded as these girls bid each other farewell, many with tears in their eyes and prayers on their lips. The sharing of farewell photos and videos of these sixth-grade girls on social media has elicited a wide array of reactions, highlighting the poignant reality of their situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
Participants during a United Nations meeting on Friday called for an investigation by the International Criminal Court into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan.
Among them, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan, also emphasised on the necessity of such an investigation.
Bennett emphasised that there has been a prolonged period of impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and human rights violations in Afghanistan.
The UN official focused on a comprehensive and unbiased investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, stressing on accountability for these crimes.
However, Bennett did not mention any specific cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed in Afghanistan.
He mentioned the deprivation of women and gender discrimination in Afghanistan as a potential subject of investigation concerning the violation of human rights in the country. He said that it may be possible to open a case for it in international courts.
He added that according to international laws, the United Nations does not have the authority to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity, and it is exclusive to the International Criminal Court.
The meeting was held on Friday titled "Accountability for Crimes Committed in Afghanistan: ICC and Beyond", in the presence of four prominent human rights experts.
The meeting was held with a warning that there is a risk of overlooking war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan.
In this meeting, it was emphasised that with the rise of the Taliban and the escalation of human rights violations in Afghanistan under their rule, the demand for justice and accountability is more than ever.
The United Nations began the meeting reminding that Afghanistan has witnessed serious violations of human rights in the past four decades, and so far, domestic and international efforts to respond to these war crimes and crimes against humanity in this country have been insufficient.
The International Criminal Court resumed its investigation into the crimes of the Taliban and ISIS a year ago, and the calls for this investigation have since intensified.
The United Nations meeting, held on Friday, focused on the investigation by the International Criminal Court and underscored the imperative to hold those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan accountable.
A confidential document obtained from Taliban sources by Afghanistan International has revealed a list of 1,640 individuals alleged to be members of the National Resistance Front (NRF), Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), and ISIS.
This most wanted list encompasses individuals operating across Afghanistan and in at least seven other countries.
The document, verified by the Taliban Intelligence Agency's "05" and "031" units, categorises the individuals into two distinct groups. The first group, consisting of 587 names, identifies those associated with armed groups like the NRF and the AFF, active in 28 Afghan provinces. The document also indicates that some of these individuals operate in Iran, Tajikistan, and other unspecified countries.
Laghman province is highlighted as a significant hub for these groups, with 98 individuals identified, followed by Panjshir with 78, Parwan with 45, and Baghlan with 36. The list also includes individuals from Kabul, Kapisa, Badakhshan, Herat, Samangan, Nuristan, Badghis, Ghor, and Balkh provinces, with each region reporting 12 to 32 alleged members.
The document further notes that fewer than ten individuals from each of the provinces of Maidan Wardak, Kandahar, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Sar-e Pol, Farah, Kunar, Logar, Ghazni, Khost, Daikundi, and Helmand are on the list. Additionally, nearly 40 individuals' activities are linked to Iran, Tajikistan, and locations outside Afghanistan.
The Taliban has labelled these individuals as either directly involved in "evil and corrupt" activities or as collaborators. The roles identified include leaders, financial officers, arms distributors, and secret allies.
The second part of the list targets 1,054 individuals purportedly affiliated with ISIS, especially the ISIS Khorasan group. Roles such as commanders, financial officers, communication officers, bomb transfer officers, and general members are specified. Furthermore, the list accuses some individuals of recruitment and propaganda efforts on social media for ISIS Khorasan.
Designations within ISIS include military base heads, intelligence coordinators, "Salafist" preachers, and trainers for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants.
The largest concentration of these alleged ISIS members is in Kunar province, with 296 individuals, followed by Nangarhar with 284, Laghman with 80, and Kabul with 67. The Taliban intelligence document also mentions Pakistan, Uzbekistan, India, Chechnya, Turkey, China, and Iran as additional operational regions for over 80 members of the ISIS Khorasan group.