Support LGBT Rights Activist Barakzai's Demands, Says Human Rights Defenders Committee

The court said on Wednesday that the men were sentenced to 39 lashes for "immorality" and two years in prison each.

In the statement, the court said that the sentence was carried out in public by the Court of First Instance of the Muqar district of Ghazni province.

The Taliban did not provide details about the identities of these individuals. In the past week, the group has flogged at least six people in Laghman, Kandahar and Faryab provinces on various charges.

After regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban has repeatedly punished individuals on various charges in public.

Human rights organisations consider corporal punishment of individuals to be contrary to international law and human dignity and call for an end to it.

During a meeting with a number of Afghan businessmen, he said that the Taliban is negotiating with Pakistan to export fresh Afghan fruits to the country.

The Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Wednesday, that Afghan businessmen also complained about Pakistan's policies during the visit, accusing the country of "hypocrisy”.

According to the report, Afghan traders have said that due to Pakistan's policy changes during the harvest season, both they and the farmers are losing money.

The Taliban's Minister of Agriculture has promised that the problems of Afghan businessmen will be solved, without providing a timeframe. He did not elaborate on the nature of these problems.

Recently, a number of businessmen contacted Afghanistan International and said that Pakistan was blocking the trade route and their fruits would rot during this period.

In recent weeks, a number of farmers in Parwan sent videos to Afghanistan International saying that grape vines are ready to be harvested, but they are spoiling due to the lack of buyers. They said that the borders are closed and that the fruit is not exported abroad.

The Torkham crossing was closed several times in the past three years after clashes between Pakistani border guards and the Taliban.

Currently, the main road between Peshawar and Torkham is closed due to the protest of some Pakistani residents.

Matthew Miller said that Afghanistan-related issues are being handled by the US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires for Afghanistan, the US Special Representative for Afghan Women, and the US State Department.

"Afghanistan is a priority for US foreign policy," he stated at a press conference on Tuesday, October 1.
Matthew Miller said that the issues related to Afghanistan are currently being handled by Karen Decker, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Afghanistan; Rina Amiri, the US Special Representative for Afghan Women, and Mark Pommersheim at the US State Department.

The remarks came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that US Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West would step down.

According to Blinken, Thomas West will be the acting head of the US State Department's Sanctions Coordination Office.

In a statement on Tuesday, the US Secretary of State praised the role of West over the past four years, stating that he has implemented US policies in Afghanistan well.

West said that the "resilience and courage" of Afghans has made him more hopeful about Afghanistan's future.

Hours earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had announced that Tom West had been appointed acting head of the US State Department's Sanctions Coordination Office.

Karen Decker, Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Afghanistan; Rina Amiri, US Special Representative for Afghan Women, and another official will perform the duties of Tom West.

It is unclear whether the US government will appoint someone else to replace Tom West or if the position of special envoy, which is of a political nature, has been eliminated.

West wrote that he "took the lead in US diplomacy toward Afghanistan during a very difficult period" and listed his achievements over the past three years.

West has many critics, mostly because of his approach to the Taliban. During this period, he tried to stay away from anti-Taliban movements and figures and adopt a soft tone towards the Taliban.

Thomas West said that the "countless resistance and courage of Afghan journalists and human rights activists" had been hopeful for him.

The former US special envoy travelled to the countries of the region several times during his mission, but he did not succeed in using these countries to change the behaviour and policies of the Taliban.

According to sources, this order was recently issued by the Taliban's Department for the Promotion of Virtue in Takhar.

Local journalists in Takhar told Afghanistan International that these restrictions have made it difficult for them to report the news.

The Taliban also recently banned live broadcasting of political programmes in domestic media and warned the media that if they do not comply with the orders, they will take legal action against officials and other media workers.

Earlier, Mullah Shirin, the Taliban's governor in Kandahar, had ordered government departments and residents of the province to refrain from taking photos and videos of living creatures.