Former US Envoy Criticises Taliban Leader’s Anti-Democracy Remarks

The letter, signed by Sheikh Azizurrahman Muhajir, head of the directorate, claims that “women are incapable of learning to drive and have scattered minds.” It argues that driving is “an important and highly responsible profession” and that even minor mistakes could result in the loss of lives.

As a result, the Taliban has requested Herat’s traffic management office to prohibit women from driving in the city and on public roads, effective immediately.

The directive marks another setback for women’s rights in Afghanistan, where female drivers are already rare and often face harassment. Despite this, women are legally allowed to drive in nearly every country, and numerous studies show they tend to be safer drivers than men.

According to a report by The New York Times, British researchers analysing data from over 14,000 traffic fatalities between 2005 and 2015 found that men were significantly more likely than women to be at fault in fatal crashes. Male truck drivers were nearly four times more likely than female drivers to cause deadly accidents, and male motorcyclists were almost 12 times more likely than female riders to be responsible for fatalities.

Afghanistan has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the region. On Thursday, the Taliban’s General Directorate of Traffic reported 117 traffic incidents nationwide during the Eid holidays, resulting in 43 deaths and 158 injuries. Among the dead were 31 men, two women and 10 children.

Taliban forces in Herat have frequently harassed female drivers. Setayesh, a woman in the city, told Deutsche Welle that she had been subjected to repeated violence by Taliban officials while driving. She said women used to drive out of necessity, but since the Taliban returned to power, they have been told that no woman may leave home without a male guardian.

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is the main body enforcing the Taliban’s increasingly restrictive policies on women. The ministry has previously banned women from accessing public parks, travelling without a male chaperone, and appearing in public without full-body coverings.

According to a report released Thursday, the global number of forcibly displaced people has risen to over 122 million as of April, a figure that has increased by 2 million since last year and has nearly doubled over the past decade.

One of the most notable developments is a more than 9 percent rise in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), now exceeding 73 million worldwide.

Sudan leads the list with over 14 million displaced individuals, followed by Syria with 13.5 million. Afghanistan ranks third, with 10.3 million people displaced, and Ukraine follows with approximately 8.8 million.

The report comes amid a surge in deportations of Afghan migrants from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan, where thousands are being forcibly returned each day. The UNHCR has raised concerns that many of these deportations are taking place under unstable political and security conditions, making return particularly dangerous for vulnerable groups.

Afghanistan has endured over four decades of conflict, including wars against a communist regime, infighting among mujahideen factions, and the more recent US-led intervention against the Taliban. These waves of violence have driven millions to seek refuge in Iran, Pakistan, and further abroad, including Europe.

In addition to cross-border displacement, Afghanistan faces persistent internal migration. Ongoing insecurity, economic collapse, and environmental disasters, including repeated droughts, have forced many Afghans to abandon rural areas in favour of major cities such as Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, and Mazar-e-Sharif.

If approved by a Spanish court, the warrant could pave the way for Peerzada’s prosecution and potential extradition from the United States.

Peerzada, who served as the acting head of the Afghan embassy in Spain following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021, reportedly began cooperating with the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs soon after assuming the post.

According to the German newspaper Die Welt, which first reported the case on Wednesday, 11 June, a specialised unit of the Spanish police dedicated to combating violence against women has submitted its findings to a court in Madrid. The police informed at least one of the alleged victims via email that the case is now in the hands of a judge, who will determine whether an extradition order is issued.

Peerzada is currently in custody in the United States. He was arrested in late March 2025 at Washington Dulles International Airport under the alias “Mohammad Rahim Wahidi.” His detention is reportedly linked to a separate criminal investigation involving his brother-in-law, Farhad Shakeri, who is accused by the US Department of Justice of conspiring in a plot to assassinate Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad.

Allegations of Sexual Assault and Harassment

Multiple women, including an Afghan woman living in Germany under the pseudonym Anis, have accused Peerzada of sexual assault. Anis told Die Welt that in 2022, while in Madrid, Peerzada drugged and raped her. “My life will never be the same,” she said, “but now, at least, there’s a chance for justice.”

Until recently, legal proceedings in Spain were stalled due to Peerzada’s diplomatic immunity. The Madrid prosecutor’s office had previously ruled that prosecution was not possible while he retained diplomatic status. However, following public outcry and media scrutiny, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement clarifying that Peerzada was no longer recognised as a diplomat in the country.

“This person does not represent any official delegation, is not accredited in Spain, and does not enjoy diplomatic immunity,” the ministry stated. His name has since been removed from Spain’s official diplomatic registry, allowing the case to move forward.

Peerzada has denied all allegations, attributing them to personal grudges and media distortion.

Background and Diplomatic Role

Peerzada took over the leadership of the Afghan embassy in Madrid in 2021 after his predecessor, Homayoun Rasa, resigned in protest against the Taliban’s return to power. In October 2023, the embassy announced it had begun coordinating with the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on consular matters and stated in a press release that it “represents its country and people.”

Afghanistan International reached out to Peerzada for comment on the Spanish police’s extradition request, but he has not responded at the time of publication.

The embassy confirmed it had raised the matter with the Iranian Foreign Ministry and urged the country's judicial authorities to pursue the case seriously.

In a statement, the Taliban embassy stressed that “the perpetrator of this unforgivable crime must be brought to justice, regardless of nationality or affiliation.”

The embassy also reaffirmed its commitment to defending the rights of all Afghan migrants in Iran, particularly Rezai’s family.

Rezai’s mutilated body was discovered last week in Tehran, sparking widespread outrage among human rights advocates and migrant rights activists. Several activists had criticised the Taliban’s initial silence regarding her mysterious death.

Amid the growing backlash, Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Migration Affairs, Mullah Abdul Kabir, claimed that mistreatment of Afghan migrants abroad had significantly declined. Speaking on 12 June during a meeting with Bakht Jamal, an official at the Torkham border, Kabir said such abuses had dropped but did not name any specific countries.

Rezai, an Afghan migrant in Iran, disappeared nearly two months ago. Her dismembered body was recently discovered at the home of an Iranian man in Pakdasht, a suburb of Tehran.

Reports say the alleged killer dismembered her body and used acid to destroy it. Local sources added that parts of her remains were found among rubbish.

Iran’s judiciary has yet to release official details about the case, and journalists have reported pressure from security institutions to restrict reporting on the incident.

The case has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights activists and migrant advocates, but Afghan authorities under Taliban control have issued no public statement.

Rezai, who went missing in April, was found dismembered in the home of a 32-year-old Iranian man in Pakdasht, southeast of Tehran, according to a report by Ensaf News. The suspect, reportedly a married security guard, allegedly attempted to destroy her remains using acid. Parts of her body were previously discovered in a rubbish dump in another area of Tehran Province.

Despite mounting calls for justice, Taliban officials in Kabul and representatives in Iran have yet to comment on the case. The Taliban-controlled Afghan embassy in Tehran did not respond to an inquiry from Afghanistan International regarding Rezai’s murder.

The group has previously remained silent on similar cases, including the execution of Afghan nationals in Iran and the deaths of Afghan labourers. Critics argue that the Taliban avoid addressing rights violations against migrants in order to maintain political ties with the Islamic Republic.

Human rights organisations have described Rezai’s murder as emblematic of the broader dangers faced by Afghan migrants, particularly women, in Iran. Activists continue to call for transparency from Iranian authorities, who have yet to release detailed information about the investigation. Iranian journalists have also reported facing official restrictions on covering the case.