Taliban Return 166 Low-Quality Fuel Tankers To Iran, Tajikistan

However, he said, the Taliban was forced to take the city after former president Ashraf Ghani abruptly left the country.

In an interview with a Taliban-run radio station in Kabul, Haqqani said the group had long known the United States would withdraw from Afghanistan. He claimed the plan was to enter the capital “through mutual understanding” so that relations with the world would remain normal, but that strategy failed when news arrived that Ghani had departed Kabul.

Haqqani said that during the Doha talks between the Taliban and the US, the group realised Washington was determined to leave but would not say so publicly. The Ghani government, meanwhile, insisted it was being sidelined in the negotiations and believed US forces would remain.

According to Haqqani, Taliban leaders had expected a transfer of power and sought to keep government institutions functioning, maintain order, and prevent looting by agreeing an orderly entry into Kabul. “We knew the Americans would definitely leave… We understood the situation and recognised the necessity,” he said.

He noted that he refers to Ghani’s departure as “left” rather than “fled” and still calls him “Dr. Ghani” an unusually respectful tone among Taliban leaders.

Speaking about the Doha process, Haqqani said the Taliban negotiating team’s priority was to sign an agreement with the US “in front of the world”, which he described as “the signing of America’s defeat,” though Western governments referred to it as a peace deal.

Once intra-Afghan talks began, he said, Taliban negotiators lost hope of progress. He claimed the Kabul delegation aimed to delay talks until Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump, at which point they would cancel the agreement. “Talks with the Afghan team were pointless, so we decided to hold only symbolic meetings,” he said.

Haqqani’s comments come ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power. Many Afghan politicians argue that the key to peace was an intra-Afghan agreement, but in Doha the US signed a deal directly with the Taliban without securing consensus among Afghan factions, paving the way for the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Anas Haqqani, the half-brother of Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, was arrested by Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security in 2014 and freed in 2019 in exchange for two American professors. He joined the Taliban’s Doha negotiating team soon after. Although he has never held a senior official post in the Taliban administration, he remains influential in decision-making circles.

Following the Doha deal, the Taliban seized power in August 2021 and imposed sweeping restrictions: banning political activities and parties, censoring media, closing schools and universities to girls and women, barring women from political participation, and even prohibiting them from visiting amusement parks and public spaces.

The group has staffed top government posts exclusively with clerics, prompting many skilled professionals to flee. Due to these policies, and no country except Russia has formally recognised the Taliban government.

Media managers in the eastern provinces said they had been threatened with repercussions if they refused to comply. The Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture reportedly instructed outlets to invite analysts critical of the former government, use derogatory language to condemn the previous regime, and air only pro-Taliban content that day.

Sources said that while the Taliban operate their own media channels, they have ordered independent outlets to broadcast the group’s scripted programmes without payment. Promises of compensation made in the past were never honoured, forcing stations to cover the costs themselves.

Some outlets said they have little choice but to follow the directives or risk closure under various pretexts. In Nangarhar, the Taliban warned that failure to comply would result in restrictions on programming.

A journalist from eastern Afghanistan, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officials from the Directorate of Information and Culture frequently visit stations, review programme schedules, and make changes. He said such interference has severely disrupted editorial independence.

Last year, the Taliban ordered all private radio and television stations in Jalalabad to air only Taliban songs and content marking the group’s victory on 15 August 2021.

Since seizing power, the Taliban have celebrated 15 August as the anniversary of their entry into Kabul, calling it the “day of victory over the US occupation and its allies.”

In a statement issued on 10 August, the ministry warned UNAMA that it would take “necessary measures” if the mission continued publishing reports “intended to disturb public opinion.”

The response came after a joint report by UNAMA and the UN Human Rights Office alleged that Afghan returnees, particularly women, former soldiers, ex-government employees and journalists, face serious risks of torture, arbitrary detention and other human rights abuses by the Taliban. The findings, published earlier, were based on interviews with 49 returnees from Iran and Pakistan in 2024.

The Taliban said a joint commission, comprising representatives from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and the intelligence agency, had reviewed the UN findings.

According to the Taliban statement, the report was “substandard,” exaggerated incidents, and framed them in a “political, ethnic and linguistic” context. It accused UNAMA of “distorting realities” and ignoring Afghanistan’s religious and social values.

The ministry claimed that instead of focusing on assistance provided to migrants, UNAMA had “played with words” to stir public concern, relying on the experiences of “a small number” of individuals while overlooking what it called the “safe and dignified” return of millions of Afghans.

The Taliban further alleged that UNAMA “deliberately” chose a handful of deportees for its report and that many of the claims were speculative and unsupported by evidence. It accused the mission of using politically charged language and violating neutrality.

UNAMA’s July report documented alleged abuses including torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest and detention, and threats to personal safety by the Taliban.

The Taliban told UNAMA officials to “seriously review” their reporting methods and take steps to address what they called “scientific and professional shortcomings.”

The summons comes against a backdrop of strained relations between the Taliban and UN human rights bodies. The group has previously barred the UN special rapporteur on human rights from entering Afghanistan, although both the rapporteur and UNAMA continue to release critical reports on the country’s rights situation.

In its latest quarterly update, UNAMA also cited widespread human rights violations, including restrictions on women, risks to returnees, public executions, and pressure on the media and civil society activists.

The findings detail intensified restrictions on women, threats to returning Afghans, public executions, and growing pressure on the media and civil society activists.

According to UNAMA, over the past three months the Taliban has increased its social, political, and economic restrictions on the Afghan population, with women bearing the brunt of these measures.

Taliban Kill Protesters Opposing Poppy Field Destruction in Badakhshan

The UN mission confirmed that in July, at least 10 people were killed when Taliban forces opened fire on protesters opposing the destruction of opium poppy fields in Badakhshan province. The report also stated that dozens more were injured in the shootings.

On 25 May, Taliban forces in Jurm district fired on demonstrators, killing one man and injuring six others. On 30 June, at least eight men were killed and 22 others including a girl were injured in further gunfire on protesters.

A day after the latter incident, Taliban forces reportedly attacked the funeral of those killed, shooting dead at least one man and wounding 12 others.

The clashes in Khash district in July followed the deployment of Taliban units to destroy poppy fields in the area. The Taliban-appointed governor of Badakhshan, Mohammad Ayoub Khalid, admitted to civilian casualties, describing them to the BBC as the result of “accidental firing” by Taliban forces. He also confirmed that special forces had been sent to suppress the protests.

Mass Arrests of Uzbeks in Faryab Province

The UN report confirmed that in June, the Taliban arrested at least 165 Uzbek residents of Faryab province following clashes between local Pashtun and Uzbek communities.

The violence began when “a group of Pashtun youths threw firecrackers at a gathering of Uzbek girls”, prompting a confrontation between Pashtun youths and a group of Uzbek men at the scene.

The Taliban arrested two Pashtun boys in connection with the incident, but detained 87 Uzbeks immediately after the clashes. Later, Taliban police and intelligence officers arrested another 30 Uzbek men who had tried to prevent further arrests.

On the same day, residents of an Uzbek-populated village in Faryab staged a protest and attacked Taliban police posts. UNAMA reported that between 8 and 10 June, the Taliban detained 48 more Uzbeks believed to have participated in the demonstrations. Some detainees were children.

All those arrested in connection with the Faryab incidents were later released.

Local sources earlier told Afghanistan International that the arrests followed a confrontation during the Eid holidays in Dawlatabad district over harassment of girls. Residents subsequently protested outside the Taliban police headquarters, chanting “Long live Dostum.”

Tightening Restrictions on Women

UNAMA reported that women and girls remain barred from education beyond grade six, from taking the Kankor university entrance exam, and from entering universities. No signs have emerged that these policies will be reversed.

Strict enforcement of the mandatory hijab continues, with requirements for “full-length clothing” in Herat and full face coverings in some provinces. Women deemed non-compliant by local officials have been barred from markets, public transport, and service centres, and in some cases detained.

In Uruzgan province, UNAMA documented cases where women were detained for wearing a form of hijab other than the burqa. The Taliban’s requirement for a male guardian (mahram) has effectively curtailed women’s freedom of movement restricting travel over 78 kilometres, visits to medical facilities, and even attendance at workplaces without a male escort.

Some women detained for dress code violations were only released when relatives brought them the required clothing.

In Kandahar, female health workers may only work if their male guardians are issued special identity cards approved by local elders. UNAMA also recorded cases in which Taliban officials refused to provide services to unaccompanied women.

Women are also banned from numerous public spaces, including parks, sports venues, and public baths. Families have, in some cases, been forced to leave recreational areas so that only all-male groups could remain. In some rural areas, the ban on girls’ education has been informally extended to levels below grade six.

Threats to Returning Afghans

The report highlights the risks faced by Afghans forcibly returned from host countries, warning they may face arrest, abuse, and lack of safe shelter.

Despite the Taliban’s announcement of a general amnesty for former members of the security and defence forces and ex-government employees, returnees from these groups still face threats. The same applies to those who worked for international organisations and human rights groups. Some have left the country again due to safety concerns.

Public Executions and Corporal Punishment

UNAMA recorded public executions in April in Badghis, Nimruz, and Farah provinces. Those convicted of murder were shot often by victims’ relatives in sports stadiums before hundreds of spectators.

Since August 2021, six other public executions have been carried out. The Taliban’s Supreme Court confirmed these were conducted after final court rulings and approval by the group’s leader. Taliban spokesmen have defended executions as part of “Sharia law.”

The report also said public flogging remains in use, with 185 men and 48 women punished in public during the reporting period.

Media Restrictions Intensify

UNAMA reported that many private media outlets, under both political pressure and financial strain, have either shut down or laid off half their staff.

In several provinces, broadcasting images of living beings has been banned, political programmes suspended, and analysts required to obtain permission from the Ministry of Information and Culture before appearing in the media.

The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue has expanded social media monitoring, arresting users in Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, and Zabul for allegedly posting “inappropriate” content.

Journalists and media workers have faced short-term detentions, threats, and intimidation, with some outlets having licences revoked or being closed altogether.

On 19 June, the Taliban leader approved a law regulating gatherings of poets, citing the need to “protect Islamic principles and culture.” On 29 June, the Ministry of Information and Culture issued new rules requiring special permits for publishing political content, which must be vetted before release.

Arrests and Pressure on Civil Society Activists

In the reporting period, 655 people, 650 men and five women, were detained by the Taliban, many without formal charges or due process. Civil society activists and human rights defenders have been threatened, intimidated, or arrested, with some of their family members also targeted.

Women’s rights activists in several provinces have been forced to flee their homes.

Torture, Ill-Treatment, and Judicial Interference

UNAMA documented cases of torture and ill-treatment in Taliban detention centres, including beatings, deprivation of food, and death threats. In some cases, detainees were denied access to legal counsel, trials were conducted behind closed doors, punishments were imposed before court rulings, and Taliban officials directly interfered in judicial proceedings.

UNAMA publishes a detailed human rights report every three months, documenting violations of fundamental freedoms, restrictions on the media and civil society, and the security and humanitarian situation of vulnerable groups in Afghanistan.

During a visit to Taybad district in the borders with Afghanistan to inspect deportation procedures, Justice Minister Amin Hossein Rahimi said the return of Afghan nationals must be conducted “with dignity and respect.”

On Sunday, Rahimi reiterated the need to expel what he called “illegal” migrants, saying: “No country accepts the entry of unauthorised foreigners. Migrants from any country must enter Iran, or any place they wish to go, legally and in compliance with that country’s laws and conditions.”

He said the timeframe for identifying and deporting Afghan migrants is “two hours,” and added that with cooperation from all relevant agencies at the Dogharun border crossing, the process, from identification to return, takes less than two hours for Afghans without residence permits.

Rahimi’s remarks follow repeated reports in recent months of violence by Iranian police against Afghan migrants, as well as discriminatory and insulting behaviour by some Iranian citizens.

Earlier, the Awa legal and social counselling centre published an investigative report alleging that hundreds of Afghan migrants had been subjected to violence and mistreatment during deportation from Iran, with their belongings confiscated.

In addition, some returnees have accused Iranian officers of tearing up valid passports containing legitimate visas.