Taliban Likely To Enhance Security With Air Defence Systems from Russia

The magazine Der Spiegel wrote that a flight carrying 28 Afghan "criminal" migrants departed from Leipzig Airport to Kabul today.

According to the report, these migrants, who had criminal records, were deported from various states in Germany to Afghanistan.

Der Spiegel also mentioned that the German government paid each of the "criminal" migrants a sum of 1,000 euros.

The magazine noted that the German government, through Qatar as an intermediary, indirectly engaged in talks with the Taliban regarding the deportation of Afghan "criminal" migrants.

The report added that despite the German government's desire to deport Afghan "criminal" migrants, the country's Foreign Ministry, under the leadership of Annalena Baerbock, opposed any direct negotiations with the Taliban.

According to the report, Germany is also in discussion with Afghanistan's neighbouring countries, including Uzbekistan, about deporting Afghan migrants.

The issue of deporting Afghan and Syrian migrants in Germany gained momentum following several violent incidents involving Afghan migrants in the country.

An attack by an Afghan migrant on May 31 on a gathering in Germany led to increased pressure in the country for the deportation of "criminal" migrants.

Suleiman Ataee, an Afghan national, attacked a gathering of a right-wing anti-Islam group on May 31, injuring a police officer who later died in the hospital.

Earlier, the German Chancellor had stated that the deportation of Afghan and Syrian "criminal" migrants would soon begin.

According to the group, Aripov said this during a meeting with Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, who travelled to Uzbekistan on Thursday.

Baradar visited Uzbekistan to participate in the inauguration of the "Termez International Trade Centre”.

On the sidelines of the event, he met Aripov. According to a statement from Baradar's office, the Uzbek Prime Minister emphasised on Afghanistan's significance in Uzbekistan's foreign policy and expressed Tashkent's readiness to enhance trade and transit relations with Kabul.

In addition to fruit exports, Uzbekistan expressed willingness to collaborate on other key projects, including the development of the railway network from Hairatan to Herat, gas extraction, and the construction of retaining walls along the Amu Darya River.

While Uzbekistan, like many other countries, has not officially recognised the Taliban government, it continues to maintain close political and economic ties with the group.

Meet With Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister

During the same event, Baradar also met with Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister. The Taliban stated that Baradar encouraged both the Azerbaijani government and its private sector to invest in Afghanistan.

Azerbaijan, in turn, expressed its readiness to reactivate the Lapis Lazuli trade route to boost economic ties with Afghanistan.

Protesters allege that the Taliban's gunfire during the demonstration resulted in at least one driver being injured.

According to reports from truck drivers and merchants in Herat, the protest on August 28 was triggered by heightened fees levied by the Taliban commission at Herat customs.

The protesters claimed that their demands for a reduction in these additional costs were met with gunfire from the Taliban members.

Videos obtained by Afghanistan International show at least one injured protester being transported to the hospital. Another video depicts a truck driver kneeling before Taliban fighters, asking to be shot in the chest. The sender of the video explained that the driver, facing a death threat from a Taliban gunman, had asked to be shot.

Taliban officials in Herat are yet to comment on the incident.

The court stated that the accused were sentenced to 35 lashes and prison terms ranging from one year and six months to three years.

On Thursday, August 29, the Taliban's Supreme Court announced that the group’s court of Ali Shir District in Khost Province publicly punished the three accused with lashes in the presence of the group's judicial officials.

The court did not disclose the identities of the accused.

Previously, on Tuesday, the Taliban had also lashed three individuals in Babaji District of Helmand Province in front of the public. The court sentenced the accused to 30 and 39 lashes and imprisonment ranging from eight months to two years.

Since taking control of power in August 2021, the Taliban has resumed corporal punishments such as lashing, stoning, and executions. The previous Afghan government, due to its commitment to international human rights conventions, had prevented cruel and inhumane punishments.

Baradar's office stated that he travelled to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the "Termez International Trade Centre”.

The Taliban announced that the trip was made at the official invitation of Uzbekistan.

According to the statement, the Termez International Trade Centre will be inaugurated on Thursday in the presence of the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, and officials from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Although Uzbekistan, like other countries, does not officially recognise the Taliban government, it maintains close political and economic relations with the group.

Senior Taliban and Uzbek officials have hosted each other on several occasions in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.