Digital Abuse Is Curtailing Afghan Women’s Opportunities, Says UN

Speaking at the Third International North–South Transport Corridor Forum in Russia, he said the Taliban is “working actively” with Iran and India on the Chabahar route.

He added that the Taliban’s commerce minister discussed Chabahar during a recent meeting with Iranian officials.

The Taliban envoy in Moscow said the group wants to shift trade routes that previously passed through other countries toward Chabahar.

After border clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistan, Islamabad closed the Torkham and Chaman crossings last month.

The closure of the crossings and the suspension of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan prompted the Taliban to expand commercial engagement with other neighbouring countries.

The court said the individuals received between 10 and 39 lashes and prison sentences ranging from one to seven years.

In a statement issued on Sunday, 7 December, the Supreme Court said the punishments were carried out by the primary court in Khost. The Taliban did not release details about the identities of those punished or the judicial process behind the rulings.

The Taliban continue to arrest people almost daily on various charges and subject them to public corporal punishment. The group describes public floggings and executions as the enforcement of Sharia law.

Over the past four years, hundreds of people have been flogged in public and at least eleven individuals have been executed. The most recent execution was carried out five days ago at Khost city stadium, where the Taliban said about 80,000 people gathered to witness it.

He warned that instability along neighbouring frontiers poses risks to Iran’s national security. He reaffirmed Tehran’s readiness to help ease tensions and facilitate dialogue.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, 7 December, Baghaei referred to Iran’s historical, cultural and religious ties with both Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said Iran shares borders with the two countries and that “any insecurity along our surrounding borders will certainly be harmful to our national security.”

He added that, from the outset of the recent border tensions, the Islamic Republic had stressed its willingness to assist in de-escalation efforts and support dispute resolution through dialogue. According to Baghaei, Iran is working with regional partners to find ways to reduce bilateral tensions.

Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks amid Pakistani airstrikes and disputes over Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously said a “regional meeting” would be convened to help lower tensions between the two sides.

The dispute has drawn in other regional actors. Türkiye’s president and several neighbouring leaders have earlier called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis.

The delegation called for an end to violence against women during migration, return, and displacement, stressing that support for returning women is a core priority in its programmes.

In a statement posted on X on Sunday, 7 December, the EU Delegation said it remains committed to upholding the dignity of Afghan women and supporting them as the country confronts multiple overlapping crises.

The warning follows a September report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which found that restrictions on education, employment, and social participation have created severe challenges for Afghan women and girls, challenges compounded for those returning from Iran and Pakistan.

According to the UN, access to essential services for returning women has sharply declined since 2021. Twenty-one per cent of returnees reported difficulties accessing water, 22 per cent struggled to obtain public health services and 28 per cent faced barriers to legal assistance.

The UN Refugee Agency added that returning women also experience heightened isolation and psychological distress, further deepening their vulnerability.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on X on Sunday that the meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Kabul time. Council members are expected to discuss a broad range of political, human rights, humanitarian, social, and economic challenges facing the country.

In previous briefings, most Security Council members have voiced alarm over Taliban policies and the deteriorating human rights environment.

The Taliban, however, have dismissed such global meetings as ineffective, arguing that outcomes lack legitimacy because the group is excluded from international forums. They have repeatedly urged countries to engage directly with their administration.