Taliban Undermines Ethnic Groups' Social and Cultural Prestige, Says Jamiat-e Islami Party

The Committee, highlighting the Taliban's systematic suppression of the media, urged the group to cease harassing and detaining journalists.

Akbari was detained in Kabul on January 17. He had been working as a journalist for the Kyodo News agency's Kabul office for over a year.

An anonymous representative of Kyodo News told CPJ that the Taliban's intelligence department had transferred Akbari to an undisclosed location.

This source mentioned that a day after Akbari's detention, the Taliban's intelligence agents forced him to contact his family to hand over his mobile phone to the group’s agents.

Taliban agents raided Akbari's workplace, confiscating security cameras, a laptop, and related documents.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's spokesperson, confirmed Akbari's arrest and the seizure of his work equipment. He stated the reason for the arrest was "transferring information to anti-Taliban circles”.

Beh Lih Yi CPJ’s Asia Coordinator stated, "Taliban authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Ehsan Akbari and stop detaining Afghan journalists in retaliation for their work."

She described Akbari's detention as part of the Taliban’s intelligence department’s systematic suppression of the media in Afghanistan.

The CPJ reported that media suppression in Afghanistan has intensified since the Taliban's takeover.

This organisation said that Seddiqi has been denied the right of a family visit and access to a lawyer.

Amnesty International asked the Taliban intelligence agency to stop punishing women protesters.

On Monday, Amnesty International released a letter addressed to Abdul Haq Wasiq, the head of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), the Taliban intelligence agency, stating the situation of Manizha Seddiqi, and urged for her prompt and unconditional release.

The findings of this organization show that Seddiqi does not have access to medical care in the Taliban prison and her mental condition has deteriorated.

Amnesty International called the detention of this women’s rights defender against international laws and a clear violation of freedom of expression.

Seddiqi was detained by the Taliban in Kabul city on October 9, 2023.

Criticising the detention of human rights activists in Afghanistan, Amnesty International has called for an end to arbitrary detentions of women and their family members by the Taliban.

Meanwhile, on Monday, UNAMA published a report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan from October to December 2023.

This report states that half of the 1,600 human rights violations cases in Taliban prisons were associated with instances of torture and other forms of cruel and degrading treatment of detainees.

Additionally, Patel also stated that the US has implemented measures to prevent the Taliban from accessing humanitarian aid.

On Monday, UNAMA reported that the Taliban "detained women and girls, predominately from Hazara-dominated areas in Dashte Barchi in western Kabul, and also some from Khair Khana area of Kabul, where most residents are Tajiks”.

The Taliban says that these girls were detained for non-compliance with the group's mandated hijab, and they accused the UNAMA of labelling Islamic rules as violations of human rights and insulting the beliefs of a nation in their report.

Patel once again emphasised that the Taliban is seeking recognition while their actions are unacceptable for the United States.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, on Sunday to condemn the massacre of Hazaras in Afghanistan. They urged the US and other countries that the aid should be contingent upon an improvement in the human rights situation in the country. They emphasised on their concerns that the Taliban is benefiting from these aid contributions.

However, Patel told Afghanistan International reporter, Marzia Hosseini that US has tried to prevent humanitarian aid and American taxpayers' money from ending up in the hand of the Taliban.

He said, “We work closely with trusted NGOs and other entities who we’ve had long-established relationships with, and there are measures and vetting and other processes in place to ensure that the hard-earned money from the American taxpayer does not end up in the hands of the Taliban.”

The United Nations has also clarified that the funds contributed by the global community to the organization are securely held in its accounts, with no access granted to the Taliban.

However, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has said that the Taliban has access to international aid in various ways, including the establishment of aid agencies.

This office has also accused the Taliban of interfering in aid delivery and misusing projects for their own benefit.

The border was reinstated on Tuesday, facilitating the entry of the first Afghan commercial truck into Pakistan. Local sources have shared images depicting this inaugural crossing.

Previously, Pakistani authorities had implemented a visa requirement for Afghan lorry drivers at the Torkham border. This policy led to many drivers being unable to cross due to the absence of visas and passports, effectively preventing their entry into Pakistan.

In response to Pakistan's visa policy, the Taliban introduced a prohibition on Pakistani commercial lorries entering Afghanistan. This reciprocal action halted commercial activities at this critical border crossing, resulting in significant financial losses for exporters on both sides.

Recent reports indicate ongoing discussions between the Taliban and Pakistani authorities regarding the reopening of the Torkham border, although the details of these negotiations have not been disclosed.

Pakistani news sources have reported a meeting between a delegation from the Taliban, the Afghan Chamber of Commerce, and Pakistani officials at the Pakistani embassy in Kabul. Following these discussions, Pakistan decided to lift the visa requirement for Afghan lorry drivers until 31 March, leading to the reopening of the border.

Taliban officials have recently confirmed the reopening of the Torkham border crossing.

According to their statement, these individuals participated in "terrorist activities" against security forces and civilians.

However, it is unclear which group these individuals had been affiliated with.

Pakistan army says that it has seized weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the terrorists.

Following the takeover of power by the Taliban in August 2021, Pakistan has witnessed an unprecedented surge of violence in the country.

In the first week of 2024, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies reported a 17 percent rise in armed attacks in Pakistan in 2023.

The institute said that 78 percent of the attacks were carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), ISIS, and Baloch separatists.