Iran Asks Taliban To Re-Engineer Kamal Khan Dam

The Taliban claimed that these individuals were accused of having extramarital sexual relations and theft.

The Taliban court specified that on Wednesday, two of the accused received 35 lashes each in public, while another received 30 lashes.

According to the statement from the Taliban’s Supreme Court, one of the accused was sentenced by the local court to six months in prison, while the other two were sentenced to four and five years in prison, respectively.

Previously, local sources from Malistan district of Ghazni informed Afghanistan International that the Taliban had flogged a man and a woman for allegedly having extramarital sexual relations.

The sources reported that the Taliban forced local residents at gunpoint to watch the punishment being carried out.

After taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban annulled all existing national laws and have been prosecuting accused individuals based on what they refer to as "Islamic Sharia”.

International human rights organisations have urged the Taliban to stop these primitive and cruel punishments. However, the Taliban has stated that they will continue to enforce punishments in accordance with "Islamic Sharia”.

Scholz said that deportations, especially of criminals, to Afghanistan and other countries will be carried out and that preparations are underway for this process.

According to the German Chancellor, deportation cases have increased by up to 30 percent.

He added that Germany wants to limit irregular and illegal migration and that the country will decide who comes to Germany.

However, Scholz mentioned that to remain prosperous and wealthy, Germany needs a sufficient influx of labour, including from non-European countries.

Scholz also said that Germany intends to speed up the process of reviewing asylum applications.

Following the killing of a German police officer by an Afghan migrant in June in the city of Mannheim, pressure to deport refugees to Afghanistan has increased.

Sulaiman Ataee, an Afghan national, attacked a far-right anti-Islam rally on June 1, during which a police officer was initially injured and later died in the hospital.

In a statement on its website, the ministry said that 1,664 of these individuals returned from Iran, while the rest came back from Pakistan.

The Taliban did not clarify whether these migrants returned voluntarily or were expelled.

In recent days, reports have emerged about the poor conditions faced by Afghan migrants in Iran. According to these reports, some migrants have been subjected to attacks and harassment by Iranian police and citizens on the streets.

A former Afghan security forces member, who sought refuge in Iran out of fear of Taliban retaliation, told Afghanistan International that Afghan migrants, especially former military personnel, are under pressure.

He added that Iranian police are arresting migrants with legal documents and taking them to camps. He said that Afghan military personnel are under pressure both in Afghanistan and in Iran.

Another Afghan migrant in Iran sent a video to Afghanistan International saying, "We came to Iran to escape the misery in Afghanistan. Now, Iranian police are searching for us street by street."

In a voice message, an Afghan migrant said that migrants in Iran face "insult, humiliation, and the threat of deportation" every moment.

In recent days, following reports of the death of an Iranian citizen after a confrontation with three Afghan workers, there have been reports of attacks on Afghan migrants in District 15 of Tehran.

Some Afghan migrants who contacted Afghanistan International said that they are scared to leave their homes for work or shopping. Additionally, distressing images received by us reportedly show severe injuries resulting from attacks on the migrants.

On Tuesday, at a BRICS counter-terrorism working group meeting in Moscow, he stated that terrorism in Afghanistan and the Middle East is a global concern.

In his speech, published on Tuesday on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website, Vershinin emphasised on the need to suppress terrorist groups.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia highlighted that terrorism in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and northern Syria requires close monitoring to effectively address emerging challenges.

He referred to a report by the UN Security Council's Sanctions Monitoring Team about "ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban" to justify his remarks.

The Monitoring Team reported in July that terrorist groups still consider Afghanistan a safe haven and that the Taliban's leniency towards these groups creates conditions for terrorism to spread to neighbouring countries.

The report stated that the Taliban's inability to act decisively has revitalised Al-Qaeda and ISIS. According to the report, Al-Qaeda has quietly reestablished its bases and offices in five provinces, including Kabul and Nangarhar.

The report indicated that Al-Qaeda has utilised Afghanistan to reorganise, recruit, and set up a network of training camps and safe houses in at least five provinces. It also noted that this expansion has resulted in a growing influx of Al-Qaeda fighters from abroad into Afghanistan.

At the BRICS counter-terrorism working group meeting in Moscow, Vershinin warned that terrorist groups are not only seeking to strengthen their influence in conflict areas, but are also aiming to establish a solid base for controlling other regions.

Haqqani said, "We should not dismiss others and replace them with ourselves." He added that removing former employees indicates the Taliban's weakness.

Over the past three years, the Taliban have dismissed a significant number of professional employees from the previous government and appointed their own group members in state organisations.

On Wednesday, July 24, at the National Labour Conference, Haqqani said that the purpose of holding this conference is to reassure the people and create job opportunities.

He added, "We must hire deserving and experienced individuals, not dismiss them and replace them with ourselves."

Reports indicate that the Taliban have dismissed specialists from government offices and appointed their own people, who lack academic education and administrative experience, in public institutions.

Haqqani said that dismissing individuals may lead to their unemployment and migration and emphasised that the Taliban should not allow them to go abroad. Without referring to the Taliban's quest for power, Haqqani said that the group has "fought for the sake of God”.

The Taliban's Interior Minister said that if there are problems and shortcomings, they should be addressed with advice and guidance, not by dismissing people from their jobs.

He added that if the Taliban dismiss former government employees from their positions, they will be deprived of their salaries.

Addressing the Taliban ministers, this senior Taliban official said that since the group has saved them from war and bloodshed, they should also be patient with their work.

In the past three years, the Taliban have dismissed thousands of former Afghan government employees, and many former government cadres have sought refuge in other countries.

Women have been completely removed from government institutions and confined to their homes. Thousands of former soldiers and officers have also migrated to Iran and Pakistan due to fear of Taliban retaliation.