Taliban Detains Female Journalist In Kunduz, Says Media Watchdog

In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Amnesty said it was deeply concerned about the treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and urged authorities to respect their rights in line with international law.

On Friday, January 9, the rights group said in a post on X that Pakistani authorities must ensure the protection of Afghan refugees, stressing that people in need of international protection should be safeguarded in accordance with international human rights standards.

The appeal comes amid a sharp rise in the return of Afghan migrants from neighbouring countries. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has said that at least 2.8 million Afghans returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan in 2025. Of that total, about 1.8 million were deported from Iran and 930,000 from Pakistan.

In its annual report released in December 2025, UNHCR said 67 percent of Afghan migrants were forcibly deported from the two countries, noting that deportations increased by 62 percent compared with 2024.

UNHCR has repeatedly warned that many Afghans returning to their country, particularly women and girls, face serious protection risks amid widespread human rights violations under Taliban rule.

Human rights organisations have urged Pakistan and other host countries to suspend forced returns and ensure that Afghan refugees are not sent back to conditions where they could face persecution or serious harm.

In a statement issued on Saturday, January 10, the court said the two individuals were convicted of smuggling alcoholic beverages and each received 39 lashes. The punishment was carried out in public in the presence of Taliban officials, clerics and local residents.

Despite repeated objections from international organisations to the use of corporal punishment and the torture of detainees, the Taliban have continued to conduct public floggings. Taliban authorities defend the practice as the implementation of their interpretation of “Islamic sharia”.

According to Taliban statements, six people were executed and 1,118 others flogged across Afghanistan in 2025 alone. Over the past four years, the group has also carried out at least 12 public executions, often in front of large crowds.

Human rights organisations say the Taliban lacks a standardised judicial system and that defendants are routinely denied basic fair trial guarantees, including access to legal representation and due process.

In a statement released on Friday, January 9, the council emphasised the right to peaceful protest and said it expects the Iran’s Islamic Republic to engage with demonstrators and respond to public grievances in a constructive manner.

The council said it hopes conditions will be created for the Iranian people’s demands to be addressed through civic and peaceful means, warning that failure to do so could lead to further escalation and instability.

It also rejected and described as unacceptable any “interference, provocation or exploitation by foreign actors” of sensitive social situations and legitimate public demands.

“The bitter and costly experiences of various countries, especially what the people of Afghanistan have endured as a result of foreign interventions, clearly demonstrate that such interference has not brought stability or calm,” the statement said. “Instead, it has deepened crises, weakened national sovereignty and eroded social foundations.”

The council reiterated its call on Iranian authorities to respond to citizens’ demands with prudence and responsibility, based on constructive dialogue, and to avoid actions that could inflame tensions.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general, said on Friday that over the past three months the agency has distributed 223 metric tonnes of essential medicines and medical supplies to 193 health facilities in 25 provinces.

He said that with support from the European Union and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, more than 200,000 people are receiving assistance in areas where access to health care has been disrupted by heavy snowfall.

According to the WHO, the medicines and equipment are being used to treat respiratory infections, measles, malnutrition and other urgent health conditions. Tedros said the agency remains committed to working towards universal access to health care in Afghanistan.

Despite the additional aid, health needs remain acute. Reports indicate that current assistance is insufficient to sustain basic health services for millions of Afghans, with about one-quarter of the population lacking access to health facilities near their homes.

Assessments by humanitarian organisations cite a shortage of health centres in rural areas, a lack of doctors and health workers, and limited transport options as key barriers to accessing health care.

According to aid groups, more than half of Afghan families do not have access to basic health services, a gap that has put children’s health at particular risk, especially in remote and rural communities.

The report, titled Drugs in Türkiye 2025, says the Balkan route, which runs from Afghanistan through Iran and Türkiye into Europe, remains the most frequently used corridor for trafficking Afghan-origin opiates. It also highlights southern and northern routes passing through Türkiye as major pathways for drug smuggling.

According to the report, Türkiye’s strategic location places it among the leading countries for seizures of Afghan-origin heroin destined for European markets, the Turkiye Interior Ministry said.

While the report does not specify the total volume of Afghan-origin drugs seized in Türkiye, available data show that more than 15 tonnes of heroin were confiscated in the country between 2022 and 2024.

The report notes that the Taliban’s return to power and their ban on poppy cultivation have reduced cultivation levels and opiate production in Afghanistan. However, it says the country remains the world’s largest supplier of illicit drugs.

According to the report, poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, recorded at 10,800 hectares in 2023, rose by 19 percent in 2024. It adds that continued strict enforcement of the Taliban’s poppy ban could have significant consequences both within Afghanistan and in major global markets for illegal opiates.

The report also identifies Afghanistan, Morocco, Pakistan and Lebanon as major global producers and suppliers of powdered cannabis, and says Afghanistan is a primary source of methamphetamine production and trafficking.

However, it does not provide specific figures on methamphetamine seizures in Türkiye linked to Afghan production.

Türkiye is a major transit country between Asia and Europe, and authorities have repeatedly warned that regional instability and drug production in Afghanistan continue to pose serious challenges for international counter-narcotics efforts.