Consider International Procedures While Assigning Diplomats To Mashhad, Iran Tells Taliban

The Taliban's Supreme Court announced that each of these individuals had been punished with 39 lashes in connection with charges such as "theft" and "moral corruption”.

The Supreme Court stated that six of the accused were sentenced to three years in prison, and two others were sentenced to two years in prison. The court added that two other defendants were sentenced to six and 15 months in prison, respectively.

Additionally, on Wednesday, the Taliban publicly flogged a person 20 times by the order of a local court in Khwaja Umari district of Ghazni province. The Taliban's Supreme Court wrote in a statement that this person was punished on charges of "theft”.

After returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban announced the rescission of all existing laws of the former Afghan government. Although the Taliban have not yet replaced the previous laws with new ones, in nearly three years of their rule in Afghanistan, they have been prosecuting criminals according to what they consider Islamic Sharia.

Human rights organisations say that the principles of fair trial are not observed in Taliban courts. These organisations have called for an immediate halt to corporal punishments in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban have responded by stating that they will continue to enforce Islamic Sharia.

Afghanistan, which officially joined the WTO in 2016, currently lacks representation within the organization due to the international community's non-recognition of the Taliban government.

Afghanistan holds the position of the 164th member of the WTO.

A press release from the Taliban's Ministry of Industry and Commerce on Wednesday reported that Azizi and Otunbayeva also discussed support for micro, small, and medium enterprises, boosting exports, and creating facilities for female entrepreneurs.

This marks the first instance of the Taliban expressing interest in reactivating Afghanistan’s membership in the WTO.

According to RIA Novosti, the Russian state news agency, Rudenko affirmed, "Our stance on Afghanistan remains unchanged."

He further clarified, "We do not link conditions together. We expect the Taliban to adhere to all the promises they have publicly made to the international community. However, we do not make this a precondition nor do we tie it to their actions."

The report released on Thursday quotes Rudenko as acknowledging, "The Taliban are a reality on the ground, and we must take this into account." He added that trade between Russia and Afghanistan will continue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking in Tashkent on Tuesday, highlighted the necessity of engaging with the Taliban. "How we manage relations with the current power [the Taliban] is another matter, but we must maintain some form of relationship," Putin stated.

He also mentioned ongoing consultations with regional partners, including Central Asian countries, concerning relations with the Taliban, stating, "We consider the opinions of each of our partners and friends and collectively shape our position."

The establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan is a significant demand from the international community, including Russia and its allies.

The leaders accused the Taliban of transforming Afghanistan into a nexus for fostering terrorism and exporting it internationally.

Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front, was among the Taliban's opponents who spoke at a virtual event to mark the thirteenth anniversary of the deaths of General Dawood Dawood and General Shah Jahan Noori, former commanders of the Afghan police.

Massoud described Afghanistan as engulfed in aggression and terror, stating that overcoming this situation demands active resistance.

He expressed that neither the West nor the East would assist the Afghan people, urging Afghans to unite and believe in their collective strength.

Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, former Vice-President, also addressed the meeting, noting that Afghanistan is under the grip of terrorism and that the Taliban's renewed control was the result of "internal conspiracy and a disgraceful international deal”.

He highlighted the issues of poverty, unemployment, targeted killings, discrimination, extremism, denial of education and employment to women, systematic human rights violations, and, crucially, Afghanistan's role as a terrorism hub. These, he stated, mar the country's history.

Qanooni commended the fortitude of Afghan women and girls, stating that liberation from occupation necessitates a concerted effort from all Afghan men and women.

General Sami Sadat, former commander of the Afghan army, commented that internal sabotage and conspiracy precipitated the fall of the prior government, and a "moral collapse" among the political class led to the breakdown of the republican system.

Sadat declared that the opposition possesses the capability to topple the Taliban regime.

General Dawood Dawood, the former police commander for northern Afghanistan, and Shah Jahan Noori, commander for Takhar, were killed on May 28, 2011, during a suicide bombing in Takhar province.

The Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of three Taliban members and injuries to five others.

The group disclosed on the social media platform X that the convoy was associated with the Taliban's Ministry of Interior.

As of now, the Taliban has not issued any comments regarding the incident. However, several sources contacted by Afghanistan International reported hearing "the sound of a powerful explosion" in Kabul earlier that day, specifically in the Barki area.