LAW 6829- Immigration Practice Clinic Guide

[03.25.22] Pro Publica - These Children Fled Afghanistan Without Their Families. They’re Stuck in U.S. Custody
- Shelters in US facing unexpected violence; not prepared to respond to Afghan children's trauma
- Violence includes punching, suicide threats, lashing out at caretakers, sexual assault
- Attempt to continue relocating children to respond to the issue; shelters stopped taking in Afghan children
- 1400 minors relocated to US; 1200 gone to live with sponsors

[Link]

[03.24.22] LA Times – Refugee Children Schooled in Orange County Hotel Rooms
- Story of family relocated to US but children were not allowed to travel with them; 3 children left in Afghanistan have continued to move between provinces to avoid detection from Taliban

[02.09.22] The Humanitarian - Most Public Orphanages in Afghanistan Now Closed: Ministry
- Taliban seized building where journalists worked, including journals, credentials, and computers
- Evacuees are not technically refugees, but are using refugee resettlement programs to settle in US

[Link]

[02.01.22] Tolo News - Most Public Orphanages in Afghanistan Now Closed: Ministry
- Only 9/68 public orphanages and 36 private orphanages operating in country
- Orphanages facing many challenges

[Link]

[01.12.22]

Brussel Times - ‘Spectacular increase’ in unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Belgium
- Surprising increase in number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Belgium
- Belgium trying to respond to dramatic increase in applications
- Some adults pretending to be minors for increased protection

[01.09.22]

Reuters - Exclusive: Baby lost in chaos of Afghanistan airlift found, returned to family
- Child lost in chaos of airport transportation; picked up by Taxi driver
- Finally reunited with relatives in Kabul after 7 weeks of negotiation
- Family trying to reunited child with parents/siblings who evacuated
- Represents story of countless parents separated from children

[12.27.21]

CNN – Children Evacuated without Parents
- Children in US without parents; not according to plan
- Lost contact with parents in bombing of Kabul airport
- About 1450 Afghan children in US without parents

[02.01.22] Washington Post - A popular Uzbek commander fought for the Taliban for more than two decades. He was arrested anyway.
- Uzbek commander fought for Taliban for 20 years, then jailed anyway for being Uzbek
- Huge influence in army; helped Taliban gain control in August
- Uzbek protesters in shock that Taliban discrimination is outweighing their support of their regime
- Taliban officials are responding that the arrest is demonstrative of Taliban's good governance; no official is above the high ranking of the law"

[01.29.22] Radio Free Europe - Taliban's Arrest Of Ethnic Uzbek Commander Sparks Clashes In Northern Afghanistan
- Uzbek, Turkmen, and Tajik are communities in northern provinces
- Protests of local leaders arrest led to fighting
- Uzbeks and Turkmens gave their land to Taliban for fighting, and are now being forcibly removed from their homes
- Lighting homes on fire
- Ammunition lining the streets

[04.12.2022] The Taliban Promised Them Amnesty. Then They Executed Them: An Opinion Video investigation reveals the Taliban have been on a campaign of revenge killings against former U.S. allies. New York Times, by Barbara Marcolini, Sanjar Sohail and Alexander Stockton dated April 12, 2022 with transcript of video.

• A New York Times Opinion investigation reveals that nearly 500 former Afghan security forces and government officials were killed or forcibly disappeared during the Taliban’s first six months in power. The Taliban are on a campaign of revenge killings, slaughtering the Afghans who fought against them over the past two decades. They were fighting for a democratic country and relied on the U.S. for protection. After America pulled out, they were hunted down, tortured, and executed by the Taliban. The article documents the most extensive database of revenge killings in Afghanistan from seven-month investigation.

[03.30.2022] Human Rights Watch Report: “New Evidence that Biometric Data Systems Imperil Afghans.”

• Report discusses the Taliban’s control over systems holding sensitive biometric data of thousands of Afghans.
• Emphasizes that the Taliban can now access Afghans’ personal and biometric data, including iris scans, fingerprints, photographs, occupations, home addresses, and names of relatives.
• “The Taliban’s access to this data comes at a time when they are targeting individuals because of their past association with the former government.” “The Taliban have also detained and abused people who have criticized their policies.” “Ministry of Interior and Defense staff said that APPS includes additional details on where individuals live, and their height, eye color, immediate and extended family members’ names and personal details…”
• “Even if these people have made it out of the country, the Taliban might go after their families”

[Link]

[03.15.22]  Washington Examiner - Taliban house-to-house searches terrorize US allies left behind

• Systemic house-to-house searches began in March; search for visas, employment paperwork, and arrest individuals
• Searches conducted with advanced technology: foreign assistance, advanced biometric equipment, phone searching capabilities, and metal detectors
• Many Afghans are not even considered "eligible for evacuation"

[03.04.2022] The New York Times - “Taliban Search Operation Echoes Resented U.S. Tactics.”

• The Taliban are going door to door, barging into homes and going through personal items. They say this is the largest operation the Taliban has carried out since seizing power in August of 2021. “They have also been accused of detaining female activists and arresting people associated with the former government despite having declared a blanket amnesty.”

[Link]

[03.02.2022] ANI - “Former Afghan govt employee Sunni Hazara shot dead by Taliban”

• The article reports on the death of “Imam ul-Din Changiz, an employee of Maiwand Bank was shot dead by the Taliban in Toloqan city, reported local media. S
• Sources claimed that the Taliban killed him because his older brother was a member of the security forces.”
• “Contrary to the general amnesty announced by the Taliban post the takeover of Afghanistan, the former Afghan Government employees are being tortured and killed.”

[Link]

[03.01.2022] In Afghanistan, Burning Our Past to Protect Our Future: Afghans Destroy Identifying Documents as Taliban Search Homes

• Anyone I know has some sort of documents at home which link them to foreign NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] or former government. Some have books Taliban may not like or music instruments. Some destroying documents/books, others trying to hide them.”

[02.22.22] ‘Was tortured by Taliban in Khost province’, says brother of former police commander

• Another story of former police commander detained and tortured by Taliban
• Also detained and tortured police commander's family members

[02.10.22]  ABC News - Thousands of endangered Afghans trapped as U.S. Immigration Services remains stagnant

• "Put yourselves in our shoes for God's sake! Your family is in danger because of the work your father did for this country... and now this country is not helping?!"
• Afghan man and 40 of his family members in hiding amidst fears of Taliban retaliation for seeing him talk with an American journalist and assisting US troops
• Difficult to secure US visas for individuals that assisted US troops in Afghanistan and their families
• Thousands left in Afghanistan fearful for their lives

[01.19.22]  CVT News - 'I need to be with my family': Afghan refugee pleads for help reuniting with loved onPeople desperate to be reunited with family, who are left in Afghanistan in hiding

• Suicide bombing on day of evacuation; people boarding flight among chaos and without communication to loved ones
• Family burning prized possessions (such as old police uniform) out of fear of Taliban

[01.02.2022] CNN –  “Elite Afghan Military Pilots Resettled in US Fear for Family They Had to Leave Behind”

• The article discusses the fears of Afghan Special Missions Wing pilots for their family members left in Afghanistan. It describes pilots currently in the United States fearing retribution against loved ones in Afghanistan and notes a Human Rights Watch report finding that the Taliban executed dozens of members of Afghan security forces after they surrendered.
• “Researchers at the organization said the Taliban ‘have also targeted family members of former security force members.’”
• “For their own safety, Ahmadzai said his family is constantly on the move. His father and brothers were also in the Afghan military fighting the Taliban, which he fears makes them a target for retribution.”

[Link]

[12.2021] Byline Times - They Will Kill Us While We Wait': A Military Family Trapped in Kabul

• Son of a family terrorised by the Taliban because their father worked for the British Army
• In Kabul, the diplomatic row has real-world consequences. Farzin is in hiding with his young siblings, terrified for his family’s safety. They are at risk of Taliban violence because his father worked with the British military for five years. His father, who Farzin explains has British citizenship, is hiding in a separate location.

[11.30.21] Report: Human Rights Watch – No Forgiveness for People Like You” Executions and Enforced Disappearances Afghanistan

• Summary execution or enforced disappearance of 47 former members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)—military personnel, police, intelligence service members, and paramilitary militia—who had surrendered to or were apprehended by Taliban forces
• Detailed accounts of Taliban killings and interviews of family members who were threatened

[10.26.2021] The Jurist - “Afghanistan dispatches: ‘Anyone on the Taliban’s Blacklist is in Great Danger” Jurist.

• This article explains the blacklist is mostly social activists, former military, and government officials, CSOs, and traders. “[The Taliban] have issued warning letters to some former government officials stating that if they do not give themselves to them then their families would be arrested.”
• The Taliban… “stated some specific individuals – especially those who worked with the foreign forces – should give themselves up to be prosecuted or they will prosecute their family members if they find them. Anyone on the Taliban’s blacklist is in great danger.”

[Link]

[10.23.2021] Gandhara - “Afghan Pilots Who Fled to Tajikistan Say Taliban is Threatening Relatives Back Home”

• This article details how the Taliban has targeted U.S. trained pilots by finding, threatening, and beating their family members still in Afghanistan. The Taliban still claim amnesty for U.S. trained pilots, claiming they wish for them to fly aircraft they seized.

[09.12.2021] Thomson Reuters Foundation News - “Afghan pilots Start Leaving Uzbekistan for UAE, Despite Taliban Pressure.”  

• “Afghanistan’s new rulers have said they will invite former military personnel to join the country’s revamped security forces and that they will come to no harm. That offer rings hollow to Afghan pilots who spoke with Reuters. Even before the Taliban takeover, the U.S.-trained, English-speaking pilots had become their prime targets.”

[08.20.2021] Al Jazeera –  “UN Report Warns Taliban Going ‘Door to Door’ for Wanted.”

• This article discusses a UN report emphasizing both that the Taliban is threatening to kill family members of those on its “priority list” if they do not give themselves up and that Taliban fighters fired at people waving the Afghan flag during independence day celebrations.

[08.20.2021] EuroNews - “Taliban ‘Intensifying’ Search for Afghans Who Worked for US – UN Report.”

• The report by the UN’s threat-assessment consultants says the group has “priority lists” of individuals it wants to arrest. It corroborates testimonies from dozens of Afghans inside the country...both of whom told Euronews Taliban fighters were going door to door in Kabul to identify people who had worked for the international community.

[07.23.21] Human Rights Watch – Afghanistan Threats Taliban Atrocities Kandahar

• Taliban killed 2 sons of a provincial council member who had close relationship with former police chief

[09.21.2022] Amnesty International  Report – Afghanistan: The fate of thousands hanging in the balance: Afghanistan’s fall into the hands of the Taliban

-The Taliban have attempted to portray to the world that they will respect human rights- however the ground reality is far from this. This briefing specifically documents the repression of the rights of women and girls, the intimidation of human rights defenders, the crackdown on freedom of expression, the reprisals on former government workers as well as the challenges faced by refugees and those who wish to leave Afghanistan. These incidents form a litany of abuses that demonstrate the need for an independent monitoring mechanism in response to the human rights situation in Afghanistan..

- Documents the repression of the rights of women and girls, the intimidation of human rights defenders, reprisals on former government workers, and challenges faced by refugees and those who wish to leave Afghanistan

- Details execution of an unarmed man wearing military clothing customary of ANDSF combatants

[04.12.2022] WRAL – “The Taliban Promised Them Amnesty. Then They Were Executed.”

• The report describes the Taliban carrying out revenge killings against former Afghan soldiers who fought against them. It notes the Taliban summoning former officers and saying they will grant them amnesty but actually detaining and killing them.
• It also notes government workers and their mothers and fathers going   missing or being murdered as part of the Taliban’s revenge campaign. The New             York Times investigation revealed that nearly 500 former Afghan security forces and government officials were killed or forcibly disappeared during the   Taliban’s first six months in power.

[Link]

[03.30.2022] Human Rights Watch - “New Evidence that Biometric Data Systems Imperil Afghans.”

- The Taliban control systems holding sensitive biometric data that Western donor governments left behind in Afghanistan in August 2021, putting thousands of Afghans at risk, Human Rights Watch said today.

- The Taliban could use them to target perceived opponents, and Human Rights Watch research suggests that they may have already used the data in some cases.

- A former military commander still in Afghanistan said that Taliban detained him for 12 days in November and took his fingerprints and scanned his irises with a data-collection tool. “They told me they took my fingerprints to check if I was military and if they could confirm it, they would kill me,” he said. “I was very lucky that for some reason they did not get a match.”

- The Taliban’s access to this data comes at a time when they are targeting individuals because of their past association with the former government, particularly members of the security forces, judges and prosecutors, and civil servants, including women working in these fields. The Taliban have also detained and abused people who have criticized their policies. Human Rights Watch in November documented the Taliban’s killing or enforced disappearance of 47 former members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) – military personnel, police, intelligence service members, and militia – between August 15 and October 31, with the UN reporting credible allegations of the killing of at least 130 security forces members or their relatives.

[03.16.22] Huffington Post - The Taliban’s ‘Cleaning Operation’ Is Terrifying Afghans Left Behind By The U.S.

- Thousands of Afghans with U.S. ties are trapped in the country and fearing reprisal as the Taliban expand their door-to-door searches.
- Door-to-door searches to find weapons, criminals, persons with ties to US-backed government, people with SIV application
- 78,000 people with who applied for SIV (Special Immigrant Visas) who are still stuck in the country

[03.14.22] Afghans Battle Red Tape, Taliban In Hope Of Evacuation To United States
- Approximately 80,000 Afghans airlifted out of Kabul in August; 80,000 Afghans who backed the US-led war are still stranded
- Taliban carrying out acts of retribution

[03.13.22] The Statesman – Afghanistan: Ex-police officer in Taliban detention since three weeks
- Former police officer in Taliban custody for three weeks without his family knowing his whereabouts
- Taliban got into his car and took him; informed family he was arrested but did not share location

[03.02.22] Former Afghan Govt Employee Sunni Hazara Shot Dead by Taliban
- Taliban killed former employee of previous Afghan government on the grounds that his brother was a member of the security forces
- Taliban repeatedly rejecting reports of former government security members being shot/tortured

[02.28.22] Former Afghan Security Forces in Afghanistan Report Challenges
- Afghan Armed Forces Day celebrated members of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces
- Not celebrated this year due to economic insecurity and risk of torture

- Former Afghan govt officials still in country asked to be allowed to re-join military because of severe economic insecurity

[Link]

[02.23.22] Field court: An Afghan officer educated in Turkey was shot dead
- Taliban fired at vehicle carrying three people through Herat: two civilians and one former police officer
- Hanging/mutilating bodies before hanging them on public display
- Not the first time the Taliban has publicly hung bodies throughout Herat on charges of kidnapping

[02.14.22] Family Claims Former MoD Officer Detained by Islamic Emirate
- Family claiming that their son (former Ministry of Defense officer) detained by Islamic Emirate; entered house without warrant, drew guns, kidnapped/beat son
- Arbitrary detentions scaring people out of sleep

[02.09.22] PBS - Afghan families in Philly frustrated at high bar to help loved ones escape Taliban
- Taliban targeting Afghans who worked for US-backed government; shooting
- Afghans who backed US government living in hiding and changing appearances to avoid Taliban
- 40,000 Afghans applied for humanitarian parole, but backlogged
- No longer embassy or consulate in Afghanistan to approve parole applications

[02.08.22] Making Their Voices Heard: A Parliament of Exiled Afghan Women in Athens
- 25 Afghan women who previously held positions in Parliament are meeting to advocate in Athens, Greece
- Taliban raiding the homes and families of these women
- Athens: center for displaced female politicians
- Melissa Network identified 150 most influential Afghan women and relocated them and their families to Athens
- Articles shares stories of the obstacles they faced as female politicians: an example is a suicide bomber trying to blow up a woman's house during her election campaign

[02.01.22] Christian Science Monitor – Afghanistan’s New Enemies of the State a Life in Hiding
- Former security services members who protected government officials captured and executed by Taliban, and others forced to go into hiding
- Former bodyguard for government officials, rights activist, and reporter forced to go into hiding with family
- Afghans who worked with international military forces have been killed by the Taliban, despite the promised amnesty
- Young female college graduate who advocated on issues of gender-based violence and youth empowerment gone into hiding in fear for her life

[01.31.22] Human Rights Watch - Afghanistan: Taliban Threaten Revenge Killings Reprisals Against Civilians Prohibited
- Taliban allegedly killed more than 100 Afghans who worked for former government (gov members, security personnel, etc)
- Taliban announcing amnesty but acting differently
- Most killings committed "extra-judicially" by de-facto authorities
- Clampdown on anti-government protests

[Link]

[01.31.22] Press TV – Taliban Allegedly Killed 100 Ex-Government Stadd, others, UN Claims
- Taliban allegedly killed more that 100 Afghans who worked for former government (gov members, security personnel, etc)
- Taliban announced amnesty but acting differently
- Most killings committed "extra-judicially" by de-facto authorities
- Clampdown on anti-government protests

[01.30.22] UN Chief Accuses Taliban Of Scores Of Revenge Killings Since Seizing Control In Afghanistan
- UN Secretary General accusing Taliban of revenge killings and widespread evictions
- Credible allegations of killing members of Islamic State militant group

[01.28.2022] United Nations – General Assembly Security Council

Despite assurances by the de facto authorities of general amnesties for former members of the Afghan government and security forces, as well as those who worked with international military forces, UNAMA received credible allegations of killings, enforced disappearances and other violations affecting the right to life and physical integrity of those individuals. [Link]

[01.21.22] Amnesty International – Afghanistan Taliban Authorities Must Reveal Alia Azizis Whereabouts
- Senior female prison official missing over three months after reporting for duty in October 2021
- Official had been given amnesty letter guaranteeing her safety and had spent ten years working as an officer for the Afghan National Police
- Taliban used electric devices to shock women protesters and used pepper spray to disperse women rights protestors, causing severe skin and eye irritation

[01.20.22] The Guardian – The Taliban Hate US Former Senior Police Officer
- Female senior police officer forced into hiding after receiving threats from the Taliban and reports that Taliban is targeting her
- She was most senior female officer in her province, worked in the police for ten years, and was responsible for recruiting women into the police force

[01.19.22] Sarajudin Haqqani asks Taliban commanders not to seek revenge on previous officers
- Minister of Interior Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Sarajudin Haqqani, directed Taliban not to take retributive action against Afghans who worked for previous government
- Assured by Taliban that no one would be hurt unless committed a crime

[01.13.22] The Federalist – Volunteers Scramble to Rescue Afghan Allies Abandoned by US State Department
- Former commander in Afghan National Army’s Special Operations Command, and seven other commandos kidnapped by Taliban
- Video of commandos’ execution was sent to members of volunteer NGO
- Former interpreters and commandos who worked with US army now stuck in Afghanistan and living in fear
- Former interpreters for US army receiving threats

[12.31.2021] Khaama – “Taliban to Investigate Torture of Former Security Personnel”

The article discusses cases of security personnel of the former Afghan government being kidnapped, tortured, and arrested by the Taliban. The Taliban claims they are committed to a general amnesty announced and will investigate these cases. “The reactions from the IEA come after videos of a former Afghan commander being tortured by a Taliban affiliate went viral on social media.”

[Link]

[12.28.21] Al Jazeera – Afghan women call for rights, protest alleged Taliban killings

- Protest of 30 women in Kabul
- Demanding respect for women's rights and protesting the alleged killings of government officials who served during US-backed government
- Taliban organized murders to prevent protest in first place

[12.28.21] Wall Street Journal – Afghanistan Former Female Troops Once Hailed by the West Fear for Their Lives
- Taliban tracking down women who served in Afghan military
- Forced to live in hiding; receiving no help from international community
- The West touted female police and military as huge advancement, and then neglected to protect them

[12.28.21] The Ambiguous Fate of Women in Afghanistan’s Armed Forces
- 5200 women were serving in military, police, and national security by 2020
- Now among the most vulnerable group under the Taliban

[12.15.21] Amnesty International - Afghanistan: Government collapse marked by ‘repeated war crimes and relentless bloodshed’ – new report

- Accounts of Taliban torturing and executing several groups, including former ANDSF soldiers

[Link]

[12.05.2021] The Guardian - “West Condemns Taliban Over ‘Summary Killings’ of Ex-Soldiers and Police.”

This article discusses how the Taliban is promising safety to those who worked with the military, but then using that information to detain, execute, and disappear those individuals. 

[12.03.2021] Gandhara - “Tortured from Head to Toe: Taliban Accused of Killing Afghan Man Over Critical Facebook Post.”

This article details how the Taliban detained Naweed Azami for criticizing their militant group on Facebook, torturing from head to toe, and then dropping his body by the river. The Taliban has been “accused of extrajudicially killing civilians and former members of the previous government and armed forces.”

[11.30.21] Human Rights Watch – Afghanistan: Taliban Kill, ‘Disappear’ Ex-Officials Raids Target Former Police, Intelligence Officers
-Taliban using employment records left behind by former government to identify and kill former officials
- Taliban conducting night raids under pretext of disarming ex-security forces who have not surrendered weapons. Detains and executes individuals
- Former provincial military officer detained since August 2021; whereabouts still unknown

[11.30.21] Report: Human Rights Watch – No Forgiveness for People Like You” Executions and Enforced Disappearances Afghanistan
- Summary execution or enforced disappearance of 47 former members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)—military personnel, police, intelligence service members, and paramilitary militia—who had surrendered to or were apprehended by Taliban forces
- Former ANSF members who surrendered and registered with the Taliban under a promise of safety, were detained and executed. Those who failed to register have also been searched for and detained
- Detailed accounts of Taliban killings and interviews of family members who were threatened

[Link]

[11.13.2021] Republic World – “Abandoned Afghan Commandos May Turn To Terror Outfits If Not Evacuated: Ex-US Official” Republic World

The article discusses Taliban hunter squads searching for and torturing Afghan military officers who remain in Afghanistan. It notes that some are coerced into joining the Taliban as the only option to save their families.

[08.21.2021] National Public Radio - “Americans Who Trained Afghan Pilots Now Fear for Pilots’ Safety.”

- A former Army helicopter pilot who trained pilots in Afghanistan explains his fears for his students still in Afghanistan and detailed some of the messages and texts he has received of the Afghanistan pilots desperately trying to get out of Afghanistan alive.

[Link]

[08.20.2021] DW - “Taliban Hunting Down Afghans on Blacklist.”

This report states “people in central positions in the Afghan military, police and investigative units were particularly at risk” of being on the blacklist and being hunted down by the Taliban. The Taliban have been going door-to-door, which “contradicts the less extreme image that the group has been trying to portray.”

[Link]

[08.09.2021] Daily Mail UK - “Taliban Captures its Sixth City in Less Than a Week as Military Pilots Quite After Being Targeted for Assassination, Leaving Afghan Troops Without Vital Air Support.” 

This article discusses persecution of pilots after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, as well as persecution of media personnel.  “I have to change the car I use every single day, borrowing my friends’ cars to drive to work. I can't spend time outside my home. I can’t go shopping, not even get a haircut, to protect my identity and reduce the risk.”

[Link]

[08.07.2021] Reuters, “Afghan Air Force Pilot Killed in Kabul Bombing, Attack Claimed by Taliban.”

This article details how an Afghan Air Force pilot, Hamidullah Azimi, was killed by a car bomb attached to his vehicle by the Taliban. Sources say, “the Taliban has confirmed a program that would see U.S. trained Afghan pilots targeted and eliminated.”

[Link]

[07.23.21] Human Rights Watch – Afghanistan: Threats of Taliban Atrocities in Kandahar
- Taliban has killed members of the police and army
- Former ANDSF members who have registered with the Taliban have been detained or killed
- Former police officer shot and killed in front of his family

[07.09.2021] Reuters - “Special Report: Afghan Pilots Assassinated by Taliban as U.S. Withdraws.”

This article explains how a fearful pilot with the Afghan Air Force sought to sell his home and move to a safer place. Once he arrived at his realtor’s office, he saw he had been murdered, and a gunman shot and killed him upon entry, with his 14-year-old son by his side. This article also speaks of seven other pilots who had been assassinated off base in the months prior.

[Link]

[03.19.22] Gay Man Tortured by Taliban in Afghanistan LGBTQ Suffering Ask for Help
- Torturing and publicly whipping gay men
- Breaking into safe houses

[02.27.22] LGBT Afghan Stabbed Taliban Attackers LGBTQ Afghanistan
- Taliban attacking members of queer community with knife; left "injured and alone"
- Attackers said it was "time to finish people like you"
- Prior to the Taliban, queer Afghans were working successful jobs in entertainment industry

[02.10.22] US News – LGBT Afghans are Being Targeted by the Taliban Report Finds
- Gay men into hiding; only escaping once a week to find food
- Patriotic, but have to leave country to survive
- In addition to abuse from Taliban, also abuse from family members

[Link]

[02.07.22] LGBTQ Afghans Taliban Violence
- Queer Afghans facing violence and sexual assault
- Semblance of queer community before Taliban took over
- Marrying into heterosexual marriages for less dangerous optics
- Hiding in abandoned factories/buildings begging for food
- Families rejecting queer members

[02.04.22] Bay Area Reporter – Out in the World: Report: Afghan LGBTQ people remain in peril, governments urged to act
- Taliban explicitly stating that they don't acknowledge the rights of LGBTQ persons
- No LGBTQ specific organizations in Afghanistan; few that worked with LGBTQ clients evacuated when Taliban took over
- Gay men erasing any evidence of their life to hide from Taliban; still getting assaulted

[02.01.22] Metro Weekly – LGBTQ People in Afghanistan Face Violence Rape and Extortion Say Human Rights Watchdogs
- face blackmail, targeted rape, violence against them, friends, and family
- homosexuality was always outlawed in Afghanistan (including under US backed government), but Taliban taking steps towards extrajudicial violence
- forced into sexual servitude by members of Taliban
- stories of people beaten by ex-romantic partners who since joined the Taliban

[01.31.22] Taliban is Targeting LGBT Afghans
- Not only abuse from Taliban members, but also from friends and family who support the Taliban
- Also risk of deportation
- Since 2018, same-sex relations have been explicitly criminalized
- Stories of gang rape against gay men
- Stories of threats of murder against lesbian women

[01.27.22] Petition and Report Aim to Help LGBT Afghans Targeted by the Taliban
- Video that explains situation as it specifically pertains to LGBT Afghans
- Nonprofit groups urging Germany to include LGBT Afghans in their protection of vulnerable groups
- Taliban keeping track of concrete names of LGBT persons
- 43 page report based on 60 interviews that details this violence

[link]

[01.26.2022] Human Rights Watch and OutRight Action International – Even If You Go to the Skies, We’ll Find You: LGBT People in Afghanistan After the Taliban Takeover

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Afghanistan, and others who do not conform to rigid gender norms, have faced an increasingly desperate situation and grave threats to their safety and lives since the Taliban took full control of the country on August 15, 2021. Human Rights Watch and OutRight Action International interviewed 60 LGBT Afghans from October to December 2021. Most of those interviewed were in Afghanistan, while others had fled to nearby countries where they remain in danger, including of being forcibly returned. Just a few have resettled in countries where they feel safe.

[01.25.22] NBC News – LGBTQ Afghans Face Surge Rape Torture Taliban Takeover Reports Says
- Constant risk of rape and torture, even when leaving to go buy food
- People report not ever leaving their rooms
- Detaining men at border; telling them that they will do whatever they can/want to find them in the future
- Feeling that people get credit from the Taliban for turning people in

[01.13.22] SF Bay Times – LGBTIQ Afghan Refugee I Fell Like a Human Being for the First Time
- Taliban judge declared that only two options for homosexuals are being stoned or standing behind a wall about to fall on them
- 50 LGBTIQ Afghans made it to UK, but thousands remain in Afghanistan

[12.27.21] Afghanistan Lesbian Taliban Forced Marriage
- Lesbian woman forcibly engaged to Taliban soldier; father forced to accept engagement
- Escaped Afghanistan with lesbian friend; seen as threats to Taliban
- Hates that leaving was a necessity in first place

[Link]

[03.21.22]
- People living under bridges and posturing as drug addicts to avoid being found by the Taliban
- Waiting for Australia (or other countries) to process their visas; claim to be increasing the number of allotted visas but little action being taken
- Reality suggests Taliban is seeking revenge on individuals who backed US or NATO

Link

[03.17.22]
- Afghans struggle with double standard of international response between Afghanistan and Ukraine

Link

[03.16.22]
- Door-to-door searches to find weapons, criminals, persons with ties to US-backed government, people with SIV application
- 78,000 people with who applied for SIV (Special Immigrant Visas) who are still stuck in the country

Link

[03.15.22]
- Systemic house-to-house searches began in March; search for visas, employment paperwork, and arrest individuals
- Searches conducted with advanced technology: foreign assistance, advanced biometric equipment, phone searching capabilities, and metal detectors
- Many Afghans are not even considered "eligible for evacuation"

Link

[03.14.22]
- Approximately 80,000 Afghans airlifted out of Kabul in August; 80,000 Afghans who backed the US-led war are still stranded
- Taliban carrying out acts of retribution

Link

[03.13.22]
- Government ignoring problems in administration, drought/starvation, poverty
- Continue door-to-door searches and public killings

Link

[03.03.22]
- Goal of searches are to "tighten security" at the capital
- Led by Deputy Minister of Defense with the Ministries of Defence and Interior
- Claiming to raid spaces that were "sanctuaries of kidnappers"
- People report being mistreated by Taliban officials while house getting raided

Link

[03.02.22]
- US urging Taliban to uphold promise of safe evacuation passages for Afghans
- US ability to relocate individuals depends on Taliban letting them leave the country
- Taliban announced they will stop letting Afghans leave who don't have an "excuse"

Link

[03.02.22]
- Taliban spokesperson following up after saying that Afghans can't leave without "excuse"; saying he misunderstood
- Taliban deputy said it was inappropriate of Western nations to invite Afghans to flee; claiming these invitations are against international law

Link

[03.01.22]
- Burning belongings in home before Taliban might search/find them; losing all personal mementos
- Calling the searches "clearance operations"
- Very subjective what the Taliban will confiscate in the homes; burning everything to prepare

Link

[02.28.22]
- Clearing operation (house to house searches) to prohibit Afghans from leaving the country
- Banned all organized evacuations; individuals attempting to evacuate need to present a valid "excuse"
- Women unable to evacuate without male chaperone
- Searches intended to find weapons and criminals behind the recent increase in robberies and kidnappings

Link

[02.27.22]
- Taliban defended door to door searching throughout Kabul; claim it is de-weaponizing the capital
- Citizens report misconduct from Taliban officers
- Taliban insist now that individuals who wish to leave must exhibit "legitimate reason"; claim it is government's responsibility to care for these people, so they can't leave until they are sure that their lives are not in danger

Link

[02.27.22]
- House to house searches throughout Kabul and neighboring provinces
- Claim to be looking for illegal military equipment and criminals
- Taliban issuing statement that forbids people from entering homes, but soldiers on the ground do not seem to be listening

Link

[02.16.22]
- US denying parole/expedited entry applications to people with "textbook cases" (individuals and their families who supported the US backed government)
- Afghans feel abandoned by the country they supported for many years
- As of February, 43,000 applications received and less than 2,000 processed
- Difference between people who made it onto the planes for emergency evacuation and those left in Afghanistan is the ability to push through the crowds at the airport
- Parole is going very slow, but alternatives (such as US Refugee Admissions Program) take years for an application

Link

[02.10.22]
- Afghan man and 40 of his family members in hiding amidst fears of Taliban retaliation for seeing him talk with an American journalist and assisting US troops
- Difficult to secure US visas for individuals that assisted US troops in Afghanistan and their families
- Thousands left in Afghanistan fearful for their lives

Link

[02.09.22]
- Taliban targeting Afghans who worked for US-backed government; shooting
- Afghans who backed US government living in hiding and changing appearances to avoid Taliban
- 40,000 Afghans applied for humanitarian parole, but backlogged
- No longer embassy or consulate in Afghanistan to approve parole applications

Link

[02.04.22]
- US receiving more refugees than space; many facing deportation threats
- Calling on White House to commit to getting US allies out of country
- Explains procedural/design flaws with the SIV program

Link

[02.04.22]  
- Hurdles to US speeding up evacuation: lack of flights, looking for new reception center, housing shortages, difficult to obtain passports
- UN observed Taliban increasing detentions, abductions, killings; Taliban rejecting all

Link

[01.31.22]
- Posted viral twitter photo of meager food offering at refugee camp; response demonstrates racism faced by Afghans in US
- Afghan refugees feel guilty coming to US knowing how many family/friends are left at home
- Easier for some migrants to come to US because of their connections to US companies and agencies

Link

[01.27.22]
- Two month pause of evacuation flights; now set to resume
- US working to shorten visa process to hopefully get the years-long process down to months

Link

[01.19.22]
- People desperate to be reunited with family, who are left in Afghanistan in hiding
- Suicide bombing on day of evacuation; people boarding flight among chaos and without communication to loved ones
- Family burning prized possessions (such as old police uniform) out of fear of Taliban

Link

[01.19.22]
- Giving up happy/successful lives
- Story of female university student who was studying program administration before Taliban took over
- People dying in the street and in their homes
- Fleeing to Pakistan

Link

[01.11.22]
- Taliban halted US-government chartered flights from flying in/out of Kabul
- Private charter got 47 American people out of country outside of 150 veteran groups in US inter-agency plan
- Leaves thousands of Afghanistans and hundreds of Americans behind

Link

[01.10.22]
- Demonstrates violent recruiting tactics used by Taliban
- Asked nicely, then tortured until submission; family members are raided and abused until they also pledge allegiance to Taliban

Link

[01.06.22]
- People fleeing to the UK are not receiving promised protection; plan does not benefit most vulnerable Afghans
- Rumors that UK is trying to shuffle people around to reduce number of people they need to support

Link

[12.30.21]

- US denying humanitarian access to hundreds of Afghans in unprecedented fashion
- Persons with textbook cases for humanitarian parole are denied

Link

[12.30.21]
- Private Task Force Pineapple leading Afghans to safety with "road maps"
- Receiving little to no help from US government; performative help

Link

[12.28.21]
- Taliban government drastically cutting down number of flights since US pulled out
- Airport recently shut down entirely
- People trying to flee but no means of doing so
- Turkey and Qatar officials trying to reopen the airport

Link

[03.23.22] World Leaders Urged to End Discrimination Against Girls and Women with Disabilities
- Special attention to girls with disabilities; multiply subjugated based on gender and disability
- Barriers to access health and rights
- Three times more likely to be victims of rape

[02.24.22] Integrating Refugees into Society the Commitment of the Pro Bambini Association of Kabul
- Pro Bambini association helping Afghans reintegrate into society after resettlement
- Specifically focusing on helping individuals with down syndrome and their families

[02.11.22] Relief Web – Are Persons with Disabilities Included in Effort to Leave No One Behind? Mapping Disability
- Data to track if persons with disabilities are being included in humanitarian efforts
- Not specific to Afghanistan, but included in the report

[02.09.22] UNICEF – Barriers and Facilitators to Providing Assistive Technologies to Children with Disabilities in Afghanistan
- Malnutrition/famine putting children at high risk of being born with primary or secondary disability
- 17% of Afghan children living with disability

[02.02.22] Human Rights Watch – UN High Risk Conflicts Children with Disabilities
- Call to UN to up their protection of children with disabilities
- Children with physical disabilities face difficulty leaving
- Children with mental disabilities struggle to understand what is going on
- Consider education for disabled children a "luxury" that cannot be provided now

[01.03.22] Middle East North Africa Financial Network – Afghanistan Deafness Cannot Stop me from Progress
- Deaf school continuing regardless of limited class access and violence from bombings
- Limited facilities that they are losing in bombings; little to no funds to rebuild
- Students are persevering

[01.19.22] Organization for World Peace - Humanitarian Crisis And Neglect In Afghanistan Puts People With Disabilities At Risk
- 20 million Afghans facing food insecurity, malnutrition, and hunger
- Especially a problem during the winter
- Disabled persons face neglect, stigmatization, discrimination, exploitation, violence, physical/sexual/emotional abuse

[01.18.22] The Guardian – Gunmen were Looking for My Mum: Daughter of Afghan ex-Radio Boss
- Three disabled children were forced to abandon their wheelchairs when the Taliban attacked their mom in their home
- Had to evacuate so quickly that they carried the wheelchaired persons, but couldn't bring their wheelchairs

[04.01.21] Report - BRIDGING A PROTECTION GAP: Disability and the Refugee Convention
 

The principal focus on the paper is the protection of the disabled when making asylum claims under the Refugee Convention. While there exists a wealth of published material on the nature and scope of the protection granted by the Refugee Convention to those facing the risk of persecution, less attention has been paid to the special challenges faced by disabled persons when making claims under that Convention or to the legal standards required to ensure that such protection is effective and offers sufficient safeguards to those suffering from physical, mental, social or other disabilities. The paper examines the particular challenges, both substantive and procedural, confronting those with disabilities when making claims of asylum. [Link]

[03.23.22] - Afghanistan’s women’s rights defenders abandoned by Canada
- Details the differential treatment countries have given to Ukrainian refugees, which is not provided to Afghan refugees
- Afghan women's rights defender who fled to Turkey is now facing deportation to Afghanistan because of barriers preventing her from obtaining visa renewal in Turkey or entrance to Canada

[03.21.22] Amnesty Voices Concerns Over Human Rights Violations
- In the span of two months, Taliban authorities have arbitrarily arrested, unlawfully detained, or enforced the disappearance of at least 60 people including children
- Amnesty International reports that Taliban activities have discouraged families of victims and others from reporting violations and seeking change

[03.18.22] Toronto Star - She’s endured threats, attacks and now exile. But it’s red tape that may keep this Afghan activist out of Canada
- Prominent Afghan women's rights activist seeks to flee to Canada amidst threats from the Taliban

[03.10.22] Voice of America – Taliban Uncertainty Prompts Bid for Afghan Rights Body in Exile 
- All nine commissioners of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, including its chairwoman, fled the country, fearing retribution from the Taliban
- Dublin-based NGO helped evacuate 1,000 Afghan human rights defenders and their family members

[03.10.22] Voice of America – Former Mayor’s Return to Kabul Sparks Controversy
- Former female Afghan mayor returns to Afghanistan after fleeing the Taliban.
- She returned to do humanitarian work through her NGO, Assistance and Promotion for Afghan Women.

[02.23.22] Gandhara – Afghan Women Activists Forced Confessions
- To discourage women's rights advocates, Taliban airing confessional videos in which women say foreign activists located outside Afghanistan told them to protest in exchange for help fleeing the country
- Confessions were allegedly obtained under duress

[02.15.22] International Federation for Human Rights – Afghanistan: Six Months After takeover, no accountability for Taliban Abuses
- About eight civil society activists and two journalists have been killed since Taliban takeover in August 2021.
- 44 journalists and 10 civil society activists have been arbitrarily detained
- Taliban are using enforced disappearances and violence to silence civil society and activists

[Link]

[02.13.22] Gandhara – Four Missing Female Activists Reportedly Released in Afghanistan
- Four Afghan female activists and their relatives who went missing released by the Taliban weeks later

[02.13.22] Republic World – Afghanistan US Envoy Claims 29 Women and Their Families are Detained by Taliban in Kabul
- 29 women and their families been detained by the Taliban in Kabul in relation to women's rights movement
- Taliban release four previously detained women activists following widespread outcry

[02.12.22] The Guardian – Taliban Have Detained 20 Women and Their Families in Kabul Says US Envoy
- US envoy states that Taliban has detained 29 women and their families in Kabul (total of 40 people)
- Taliban has barred girls from secondary education and women from working outside the health and education sectors.
- Female senior prison official missing for four months after reporting for work

[02.10.22] La Prensa -Disappearance of Afghan Women activists triggers protest, concern
- Afghan women protest in Kabul in support of women’s rights in the midst of concern over the disappearance of four other activists, who are suspected to have been taken by the Taliban.

[02.09.22] Bangkok Post – 'My heart and body shake': Afghan women defy Taliban
- Taliban cracking down on women's freedom
- Afghan women organize protests secretly but fear recruiting moles who will feed information to Taliban on their identities, plans, and whereabouts
- Female activists receiving threats and allegedly arrested and detained by Taliban
- Activists fear harm to themselves and their families

[02.08.22] Washington Post - Faced with disappearances, beatings and intimidation, Afghanistan’s women’s rights activists go quiet on the streets

- Women’s Rights activists missing.

- Even as the Taliban tries to persuade the world to recognize and financially support its government, it has embarked on a violent crackdown on dissent.

- Armed militants have beaten female demonstrators, sprayed pepper spray in their faces and shocked them with electric prods, according to a half-dozen activists interviewed by The Washington Post.  

[02.08.22] Jurist - UN rights office concerned for safety of disappeared Afghan women’s rights protesters
- Protesters campaigning for women's rights have been pepper sprayed, called derogatory names and killed
- Abduction of female protesters and their continued disappearance
- U.N. expresses concern about continued disappearance of protesters

[02.08.22] Reuters – UN Rights Office Demands Release Afghan Women Activists
- U.N. human rights office call for release of four women activists and their relatives in Afghanistan who were detained or abducted after taking part in women's rights protest

[02.08.22] United Nations High Commissioner - Press briefing notes on Afghanistan
-  U.N. high commissioner for human rights expresses concern for four women activists and their relatives in Afghanistan who were detained or abducted after taking part in women's rights protest

[02.03.22] PBS – Despite Brutal Repression Afghan Women Demand the Right to Go to School and Work
- 25-year-old woman who had taken part in protest in Afghan capital calling for women's right to school and work went missing after recording Facebook live video of men trying to force their way into her apartment
- Afghan women continue to protest in streets in defiance of Taliban

[02.03.22] - UN, Afghan Women Demand Answers Over More Missing Activists
- Ten Taliban force members storm house of female women’s right activist and abduct her
- Two other female activists went missing earlier

[02.03.22] BBC - Afghanistan: Taliban takes another women's rights protester
- Six female protesters who campaigned for women's rights to school and work have gone missing
- Taliban announced investigation into the women's disappearance

[02.01.22] United Nations -  Six women’s rights activists still missing in Afghanistan
- UN human rights office express concern over the disappearance of six Afghans who were suspected to have been abducted in connection with women’s rights protests in Kabul.
- UN recognizes pattern in arrest, detainment, and torture of activists, journalists, media workers, and former Government and military workers

[02.01.22] Christian Science Monitor – Afghanistan’s New Enemies of the State: A Life in Hiding
- Former security services members who protected government officials captured and executed by Taliban, and others forced to go into hiding
- Former bodyguard for government officials, rights activist, and reporter forced to go into hiding with family
- Afghans who worked with international military forces have been killed by the Taliban, despite the promised amnesty
- Young female college graduate who advocated on issues of gender-based violence and youth empowerment gone into hiding in fear for her life

[01.21.22] Amnesty International - Afghanistan: Taliban authorities must reveal Alia Azizi’s whereabouts
- Female senior prison official missing for four months after reporting for work
 - Taliban used electric devices to shock women protesters
- Pepper spray used to disperse women rights protestors, causing severe skin and eye irritation

[01.20.22] ABC News – Taliban Storm Kabul Apartment Arrest Activist Sisters
- Taliban arrest woman rights activist and her three sisters
- Activist was part of anti-Taliban protest against the compulsory Islamic hijab for women
- Kabul-based journalist and deputy director for media non-profit beaten up by three unidentified men.

[01.20.22] Telegraphy – Terror and Security Fears Safety Female Afghan Protesters Taken in Night Raids
- Two female Afghan protestors who led a demonstration for women's rights under the Taliban taken in night raids
- Women rights activists in hiding to escape Taliban targeting
- Taliban forces pepper sprayed female protesters demanding the right to work and education.
- Female civil servants are barred from returning to work and young girls cannot attend school

[01.20.22] The Guardian – Taliban Arrest Afghan Women’s Rights Activist Witness Says
- Taliban gunmen raided homes of women’s rights activists in Kabul, beating and arresting female campaigners who participated women's rights protest
- Female protesters forced to go into hiding
- Taliban targets Afghan rights groups and has detained and arrested journalists covering demonstrations

[01.19.22] The Guardian – Taliban are Seeking Revenge Ex- Cultural Worker on UK Project
- Afghan man who formerly worked for British organisation on human rights and cultural projects forced to go into hiding with five daughters amid fears of Taliban retaliation

[01.16.22] The Guardian – We are Struggling Two Former Officials Afghan Women Affairs Ministry
- Activists who ran provincial branches of the ministry of women’s affairs now in hiding, afraid of retaliation from men they helped put in prison who are now part of Taliban
- Afghan ministry of women’s affairs taken over by Taliban enforcers

[01.11.22] Canadian Gov News Release - Afghan Human Rights Defenders Arrive in Canada
-  Press release from the Canadian government on the arrival of 250 Afghan refugees in Canada, including 170 human rights defenders, as government-assisted refugees
- Arrivals are part of Canada’s humanitarian commitment to admit Afghan refugees including women leaders, human rights defenders, persecuted minority groups, and journalists.
- Canadian government established permanent immigration program for human right defenders

[01.09.22] Wall Street Journal – Taliban Detains Prominent Critic Intensifying Crackdown on Dissent
- University professor arrested following TV appearance and alleged Twitter posts criticizing Taliban
- Man arrested after Facebook post demanding Taliban use taxes to pay public servants
- Food stall owner arrested and killed after Facebook post criticizing Taliban for not paying teachers salaries

[Link]

[12.03.2021] Gandhara - “Tortured from Head to Toe: Taliban Accused of Killing Afghan Man Over Critical Facebook Post.”

- This article details how the Taliban detained Naweed Azami for criticizing their militant group on Facebook, torturing from head to toe, and then dropping his body by the river. The Taliban has been “accused of extrajudicially killing civilians and former members of the previous government and armed forces.”

[11.5.21] The Guardian – Women’s Rights Activists Short Dead in Northern Afghanistan
- 29-year-old women's rights activist and economics lecturer shot and killed in northern Afghanistan

[11.4.21] The Guardian – They Stayed to Fight the Taliban Now the Protesters are Being Hunted Down
- Taliban hunting down activist groups and infiltrating them
- Taliban beat women protesters with electric batons and detained and tortured reporters covering protests

[08.20.2021] NBC News – “Taliban Violence Drives Afghans to Wipe Social Media Profiles”

The article discusses Afghans deleting photos and documents on their phone that could link them to the former Afghan government out of fear of being sought out by the Taliban. Kabul residents told reporters that they deleted content including pictures of the Afghan flag and photos with foreign colleagues. “One student said her relatives were stopped on the way to Kabul, the capital, from Mazar-e-Sharif and were asked to hand over their phones by the Taliban who said they were looking for pictures of the Afghan army or with army officers. Her uncle, who suffers from mental health issues, lied about having his phone on him and when the Taliban commanders discovered it, they tried to beat him…”

[03.22.22]

Daily Times
- Afghanistan has long been a nation of several diverse communities; many consider their coexistence to be a good thing, but Afghanistan risks the tyranny of the majority
- Ethnic belonging is important for life and treatment in Afghanistan
- Hazaras: one of the most persecuted groups in history

[03.17.22]
- Islamic State branch in Afghanistan trying to ally with individuals from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan; trying to rally/unite opposition to the Taliban
- This propaganda is worrisome to Central Asian states

[03.15.22]
- Videos showing retribution killings; severe torture and beatings; dragged from home and tortured publicly
- Summarily executing human rights abuses
- Especially in Panjshir Valley
- Publicly announcing investigations but not completing them

[03.03.22]

Irish Times
- Search missions driving Afghans to take up arms
- Largest operation of its kind since Taliban took over
- Taliban claiming all searches conducted professionally and according to plan

[03.02.22]

New York Times
- Armed searches to find any evidence of insurgency
- Police state tactics to assert authority
- NRF (National Resistance Front) hit and run attacks on Taliban checkpoints
- Rampant misinformation in media from both Taliban and NRF

[03.01.22]

The Hill
- Call to Biden to prioritize the resettlement of Afghan's minority groups
- Taliban fighters massacring Hazara Shi'a; raiding mosques during Friday prayer
- All practitioners who veer from Taliban's faith are in hiding; abandonment of faith considered apostasy punishable by death
- Taliban vision of religiously homogeneous state; pursuing violent action to make this happen

[03.01.22]

Times of India
- Taliban also conducting house-to-house searches in Tajik and Hazara areas; claims to be searching in partnership with district representatives and local mosque
- Armed clashes between civilians and Taliban occurring in Panjshir Valley

[02.22.22]

Religion UnPlugged
- Christians had been underground for a while; no churches to be attacked
- People reported being tracked, beaten, and threatened if don't share names of their Christian family members

[02.17.22]

UK Politics
- Afghan woman reports to father and brother being tortured, executed, and gone missing for being Christian
- Listed on Open Doors World Watch List as the most dangerous place in the world to be Christian
- Taliban allegedly hunting down Christian converts to eliminate them
- suicide bombings at Shia mosques

[02.04.22]
- Religious minorities on the run; if caught by Taliban, going to be beaten to death
- Taliban haven't blown up Christian churches because there were no churches for them to blow up; Christians have been living in fear for decades now
- Proof that no access to religious freedoms is often a neglected human rights issue

[01.17.22]
- Force men to wear turbans and prohibit beard trimming
- Attendance book at mosques to ensure religious orders

[01.10.22]

Fair Observer
- Weak centralized power only exacerbated by Taliban
- Nation of several ethnic groups and disorganized provinces
- Taliban returned to power after the US-backed government with a vengeance
- Taliban has never really won a democratic election

[06.29.2021] Salaam Times - “Taliban’s Assassination of Religious Scholars Aims to Suppress Dissent.”

The article discusses the Taliban’s campaign to assassinate religious scholars who speak out against the group’s false brand of Islam. It notes the murders of two scholars who had repeatedly called the ongoing war in Afghanistan illegitimate and denounced suicide attacks. “The Taliban, unfortunately, target any religious scholar who dares to reject this group’s false jihad.” “The Taliban have been watching the activities of scholars and target any scholar who raises the voice of truth”

[03.02.2022] ANI - “Former Afghan govt employee Sunni Hazara shot dead by Taliban”

• The article reports on the death of “Imam ul-Din Changiz, an employee of Maiwand Bank was shot dead by the Taliban in Toloqan city, reported local media. S
• ources claimed that the Taliban killed him because his older brother was a member of the security forces.”
• “Contrary to the general amnesty announced by the Taliban post the takeover of Afghanistan, the former Afghan Government employees are being tortured and killed.”

[Link]

[02.14.22] New York Times – We’ve Never Been Smuggled Before: After the U.S. Withdrawal and with Their Country’s Economy
- Hazaras could not escape to Pakistan for fear of Sunni extremist group that kidnapped Hazaras for ransom and murder if they don't pay
- Hazara smugglers are paid to transport people

[02.12.22] The Guardian - Government plans to send Hazara asylum seeker back to Afghanistan may face high court challenge
- Australian minister for immigration arguing before high court that asylum seeker who was sent back to Afghanistan before the Taliban should still be forced to return, regardless of change of conditions in Afghanistan

[02.04.22] Humanitarian Crisis Adds to Burdens of Afghan Religious Minorities
- Afghans now completely disillusioned with the idea of religious freedom
- Relocating within Afghanistan during the dark to avoid capture; dodging bandits and checkpoint guards demanding bribes
- Considerable community of Hazaras located in Quetta; uniting to avoid persecution

[01.31.22] Afghanistan: Orphaned and terrified – persecuted Hazara minority whose hard lives have just got harder under the Taliban
- Five children orphaned when Hazara mother was killed in car bomb
- Car bomb part of systematic obliteration of Hazara community
- Not even an ambulance to take her to the hospital
- Consider Taliban's "amnesty promise" to be a lie

[Link]

[01.19.22] Al Jazeera - Taliban arrests fighter who shot dead Hazara woman at checkpoint
- Taliban fighter shot Hazara woman while she was returning from her wedding
- Terrifies women who already face increasing discrimination under Taliban rule
- Occurred in neighborhood with Hazara majority

[01.17.22] Afghanistan Analysts Network - A Community Under Attack: How successive governments failed west Kabul and the Hazaras who live there
- Neighborhood in Kabul: Dasht-e Barchi
- Relentless campaign of abuse and murder
- Several bombings since Taliban takeover; multiple mosques and Hazara communities
- Taliban responding by downplaying the incidents

[01.15.22]  The Khaama Press (News Agency) - Girl gunned down in Taliban’s check post in Kabul
- Story of Hazara girl gunned down at checkpoint from family's perspective
- Taliban soldier pardoned by slain Faisal

[01.13.22] The Guardian – New Zealand - Anger at NZ government as Afghan ex-vice-president resettled while hundreds of others trapped
- NZ government resettled ex-VP of Afghanistan, who had no connection to the country
- Many Afghan nationals frustrated that they outright support the NZ government and are now being denied asylum
- Hazaras in grave danger from Taliban; feel betrayed by New Zealand

[12.28.21] Khaama Press – Shi’ite People Ask Taliban to Formalize Their Sect
- Shi'ite people plea Taliban government for political/economic/religious protection
- Argue that government cannot be "inclusive" without doing so, since Shi'ite makes up 25% of population

[08.26.2021] Yale MacMillan Center - “Protecting Afghanistan’s Hazara People Under Taliban Rule,” This article explains what the Hazara people are facing by the Taliban takeover fits the definition of genocide or ethnic cleansing.

[08.19.2021] “Afghanistan: Taliban Responsible for Brutal Massacre of Hazara Men,” Amnesty International. This article details the torture and murder of nine Hazara men, one of which had the muscles on his arms sliced off. One witness recounted, “We asked the Taliban why they did this, and they told us, ‘When it is the time of conflict, everyone dies, it doesn’t matter if you have guns or not. It is the time of war.’”

[02.2019] United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner - “Over a Century of Persecution: Massive Human Rights Violation Against Hazaras in Afghanistan. ” This report recounts the history of how the Hazara people are mistreated within Afghanistan.

- “The Hazaras whose Asiatic appearance distinguishes them from the rest of Afghans have been historically persecuted in a massive way. Those Hazara who practice Shiite faith of Islam provide further stimulus for suppression, coercion and slaughtering by Afghan monarch and emirs (Who were mostly ethnocentric and religiously extremist figures) over the last one and half century.”

- “The Taliban, the IS-KP and other similar groups increased and expanded their direct threats and Intimidation against Hazaras in recent years… The Taliban also threats Hazara people to provide financial support (through Islamic tithe).”

- “Taking hostage, kidnapping and abduction of Hazara people by the Taliban and IS-KP have also been increased in recent years…” In 2015, 31 Hazaras were kidnapped, seven of which were beheaded.

- “They separated 14 Hazaras (including three women and one child) from the other passengers, bound their hands, and shot and killed them by the side of the road.”

- “[Hate speech] is mostly noticeable against Hazaras. Having different appearance, Hazara accent of Persian language, and mostly carrying Shiite as distinctive religion of Islam in Afghanistan’s majority Sunni Muslim country, Hazaras have been suitable target of hate speech and phobia for long time.”

- “The Hazaras’ Asiatic appearance, their cultural, linguistic and more importantly historical background distinguishes them from the rest of Afghan population. The majority of Hazara people who practice Shiite faith of Islam has been a surplus for further suppression, coercion and slaughtering over about the last one and half century. ...The chief question for Hazaras is not merely human rights violation, rather it is the Hazaras’ survival.”

[Link]

[03.23.22] AP News – Afghanistan Entertainment Business Music Kabul
- Individual Taliban members target musicians and disrupt their performances, breaking their instruments
- Afghan musicians flee to Iran so they can practice music freely and pass expertise down to next generation
- Instrument sellers and repair shops forced to leave business and sell other goods including soda and clothing.
- Concerns about musical traditions and instruments passing on to next generation

[03.16.22] Feature: First-ever TV drama screened in post-U.S. Afghanistan
- First TV Drama screened in Afghanistan since Taliban takeover
- Cinemas in Afghanistan have been damaged from war efforts

[03.11.22] New concerns for the Bamiyan Valley's future in Taliban hands surface on anniversary of monumental Buddhas' destruction
- Cultural heritage site, Bamiyan Valley, facing destruction from Taliban looting, illegal construction and excavations

[03.01.22] A refugee in Pakistan, Afghan Shah Rukh Khan seeks a twist in his career
- Afghan film star and singer flee to Pakistan
- Refugees in Pakistan cannot afford Afghan citizen card in Pakistan and cannot find work as a result

[02.21.22] The Guardian – Were All Hip-Hop Family the Artists Fighting to Get Afghan Break-dancers to Safety
- Breakdancers, rap artists, parkourists and family members, go into hiding and flee Afghanistan in fear of the Taliban

[02.21.22] US Bans Import of Art and Antiquities from Afghanistan
-  Discusses the effect of US state department ban on archeological and ethnographic material from Afghanistan
- Experts fear that the policy may result in seized materials being given to the Taliban.

[02.18.22] What Does the Future Hold for Afghan Cinema
- Afghan filmmaker forced to flee the country after Taliban takeover
- Difficult for Afghan filmmakers in exile to obtain financing to make positive films on Afghanistan

[02.17.22] What Does the Future Hold for Afghan Cinema
- Taliban ordered closure of cinemas in Afghanistan leaving future of country's filmmakers uncertain
- Afghan filmmaker forced to flee the country after Taliban takeover
- Difficult for Afghan filmmakers in exile to obtain financing to make positive films on Afghanistan

[02.08.22] Artists At Risk Connection & Art At A Time Like This Present BEFORE SILENCE: AFGHAN ARTISTS IN EXILE
- Before the takeover, artists were targeted, kidnapped or killed by Taliban
- Artists who have fled Afghanistan, leaving behind family, continue to create works in other countries

[02.07.22] Art Under Siege: Six Months of Terror and An Uncertain Future for Arts and Culture in Afghanistan
- Reports of a Taliban watchlist listing artists and cultural workers
- Dean of Afghanistan fine arts school went into hiding with family for two months before fleeing the country
- Taliban banned music in public forcing Afghan artists to engage in self-censorship and self-destruction of their works
- Many Afghan artists living in fear after murder of Afghan comedian, Nazar Mohammed, and execution of folk singer, Fawad Andarabi

[01.18.22] Taliban Video Humiliating Afghan Musicians
- Afghan musicians humiliated, head shaved and instruments burned in streets by Taliban
- Instruments from music studio dragged onto street and set ablaze
- Taliban Information and Culture Ministry announced that music was "forbidden" under its interpretation of Islamic law
-Taliban soldiers treat musicians with the same harshness as in the 1990s when the Taliban regime banned all forms of music

[10.30.21] The Guardian – Gunmen Kill at Least Three at Afghan Wedding to Stop Music Being Played
- Gunmen claiming to be Taliban attacked wedding to stop music being played
- Killed at least three people and injured others
- Taliban authorities deny responsibility

[03.23.22] Cincinnati – Afghan Refugee Athletes Building New Life in Cincinnati
- Details the journey of three young athletes who fled Kabul to the US in fear of the Taliban
- Athletes now enrolled in university in the United States

[02.13.22] Australian News - Taliban crushes Olympic dreams of female Afghan skier forced to flee home
- Afghan professional female skier stranded and scared in Islamabad after fleeing Taliban
- Professional skier concerned about safety of family stranded in Afghanistan

[Link]

[02.13.22]  UCI Silent as Afghan Cyclists Allege Death Threats Abduction and Torture
- Afghan cyclist threatened, kidnapped, and tortured by the Taliban
- Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has remained silent to Afghan cyclists allegations of threats, kidnapping and torturing perpetuated by the Afghan Cycling Federation and its president

[02.01.22] CBC Canada – Afghan athletes who thought they were headed for Canada plead with Ottawa: 'Don't break our hearts'
 - Female athletes evacuated from Afghanistan by FIFA with a Canadian document they believed to be a visa stranded in foreign country and denied entry into Canada

[01.20.22] Guardian – I am Losing My Skills Female Boxer Who Was on Afghan National Team
- Female member of Afghan boxing team cannot continue boxing after threats from Taliban, losing boxing skills
- Two female boxers beaten up by Taliban in the streets

[Link]

[03.24.22] Six Afghan Journalists Killed within First 100 Days of Taliban Rule
- Discusses the treatment of local and foreign journalists by the Taliban
- Six Afghan journalists killed within the first 100 days of Taliban regime
- 300 media outlets have closed
- Taliban soldiers burnt down radio stations in southern parts of the country
- Over 7,000 media workers fled the country, seeking asylum in western countries
- Foreign reporters receive differential treatment from the Taliban

[03.23.22] Al Jazeera - Danish Siddiqui: Family of slain journalist takes Taliban to ICC
- Indian photojournalist for Reuters killed in Afghanistan
- Family filed complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Taliban for murder
-  Article reports that the journalist was illegally detained, tortured, and his body was mutilated after his death
-Afghan commando was also killed alongside the journalist
- Government officials were killed outside their homes and their bodies left to lie on the street for days

[03.18.22] ABC News – Taliban Detain Journalist Report TV Show Censoring
- Discusses the release of three employees of Afghanistan's largest television station who were detained following report that Taliban had banned all broadcasts of foreign drama series

[03.18.22] Taliban release 2 Afghan TV staffers detained over media ban
- Discusses the release of three TV journalists detained by the Taliban over report on TV show censoring

[03.18.22] Tolo News – Afghans First 24 Media Service
- News presenter, and two other media workers, detained by Taliban after sharing news regarding Taliban prohibition on airing foreign drama series
- All three were later released
- Afghan watchdog groups say detention was in violation of media law and the Islamic Emirate’s stated commitment to media

[03.17.22] Columbia Journalism Review – What happened to Afghanistan’s journalists after the government collapsed
- Hundreds of journalists were forced to leave Afghanistan or go into hiding
- New Taliban media regulations are vague, prompting journalists to self-censor for their safety
-  Journalist beaten so badly that he lost part of his hearing and eyesight

[03.17.22] Voice of America – Taliban Impose Restrictions on Afghan Media
- Taliban gunmen raided the TV broadcasting office in Kabul
- Arrested employees and forced newsroom staff “at gunpoint” to remove station's tweets concerning Taliban ban on broadcasting foreign drama series
- U.N., Human Rights Watch, and Committee to Protect Journalists criticized Taliban's actions

[03.02.22] Committee to Protect Journalist – Afghanistan’s intelligence agency emerges as new threat to independent media
- New Taliban intelligence agency cracking down on media independence
- Taliban announced restrictive journalism rules, especially for women
- Journalists required to have accreditation letter from Taliban in order to report
- Journalist arrested, kept handcuffed and blindfolded and interrogated for three days, despite having permission letter
- Details other instances of journalists being detained, interrogated, and beaten

[02.23.22] The National Interest – Afghan Media is Collapsing

- Journalism was uniting the Afghan people and transforming society. But there is no free press in Afghanistan today.
- 231 media outlets have closed and more than 6,400 journalists have lost their jobs since Taliban takeover.
- Four out of five Afghan women journalists are no longer working in the industry.
- Survey reveals that of the 10,790 people working in the Afghan media in August, only 4,360 remain in February 2022
- Journalists who choose to remain in the profession must self-censor and face severe restrictions

[02.23.22] TOLOnews is Afghanistan's First 24-Hours News – Afghan Media is Collapsing
-  Discusses financial problems facing media outlets
- Afghanistan Journalists and Media Organizations Federation (AJMOF) says if the financial problems facing media outlets in the country are not addressed, no media outlet will remain open in the next six months.

[02.17.22] Associated Press - Fear runs through Afghanistan’s ‘hazardous’ media landscape
- Details instances of Taliban arrest, detainment, and attacks on journalists
- Taliban increasingly implicated in arrests and disappearances
- Female journalists denied access to information and briefings because of their gender
- Afghan journalists living in fear

[02.14.22] The Guardian - The Taliban forced Afghan TV workers into hiding. Now they’re asking Hollywood for help
- Afghan television and film workers are forced to switch professions and go into hiding
- Former journalists fear being recognized for their previous work and being targeted by Taliban
- In first 100 days of Taliban takeover, more than 70% of Afghan journalists lost their jobs
- Many journalists have been detained, beaten, or threatened and are desperate to flee the country

[02.14.22] Republic World - In Afghanistan, Nearly 86 Radio Stations Shut Down Since Taliban Takeover: Report
- Nearly 86 radio stations shut down in six months following Taliban takeover
- 300 different types of media organizations shut down
- 95% of journalists have trouble obtaining information

[02.11.22] Daily Mail UK - Ex-BBC correspondent Andrew North is released by the Taliban along with second journalist and Afghans after 'being kidnapped by the brutal regime'
- Ex-BBC correspondent and others detained by the Taliban are released

[02.11.22] DW Akademie - Afghanistan: Taliban free detained journalists held in Kabul while working for UNHCR
- Two foreign journalists and Afghans working with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) detained by Taliban were released days later
- Taliban authorities claim they were detained because they did not have documents identifying them as UNHCR staff

[02.11.22] Yahoo News - Taliban detains journalists working with UN in Afghanistan
- Two journalists working for the United Nations detained by Taliban
- Individuals charged with working for western intelligence arrested by Taliban

[02.06.22] Afghan Voice Agency - Afghan journalists facing harassment under Taliban regime: RSF
- Nearly 86 radio stations shut down in six months following Taliban takeover
- Media outlet closure caused by financial and political difficulties
- 300 different types of media organizations shut down
- 95% of journalists have trouble obtaining information

[02.04.22] International Federation of Journalists - Afghanistan: Taliban arrest Ariana News Journalists
- Taliban detained two journalists
- Since Taliban takeover, 257 media outlets have shut down

[02.04.22] Khaama Press
- 95% of Afghan journalists facing problems with accessing information needed to cover stories independently
- 30% of Afghan journalist have difficulty interviewing Taliban authorities
- 50% of Afghan journalists find it difficult to interview common people

[02.04.22] Reporters without Borders - Afghan journalists increasingly harassed by Taliban intelligence and new ministry
- Two journalists detained for 48 hours
- Since August 2021, at least 50 journalists and media workers have been detained or arrested
- Arrests usually happen when journalists are covering street demonstrations by women
- Media outlets have received threatening phone calls and summonses for questioning

[02.03.22] Committee to Protect Journalists - Taliban forces beat, interrogate journalist Zahid Samadzai in Kabul
- Afghan journalist detained, beaten, and interrogated by Taliban

[02.02.22] RFE/RL journalists - Taliban Reportedly Releases Two Kabul Journalists Held For Unknown Reasons
- Taliban releases two local journalists who were detained following a live broadcast where a guest criticized the Taliban regime

[01.30.22] Pajhwok Afghan News – Under Taliban, number of women journalists halves
- Number of women journalist in Afghanistan declined by 50%
- Female journalist quit their jobs out of fear for their safety and Taliban restrictions

[01.19.22] Committee to Protect Journalists - Afghan journalist Zaki Qais beaten at home in Kabul
- Afghan journal attacked in his home by two unidentified men
- Journalist was former director of TV broadcasting organization and works on films about human rights in Afghanistan
- Journalist was previously beaten by armed Taliban members and detained on two separate occasions

[01.18.22] Khaama Press
- Taliban pressuring journalists to cover stories in their favor
- Journalists have left their jobs to avoid being censored or used to spread Taliban propaganda

[01.17.22] Khaama Press
- Lack of guidelines for media coverage could put Afghan journalists at risk
- Over 70% of Afghan media outlets have closed dues to economic problems

[01.12.22] Committee to Protect Journalists - Unidentified man attacks Afghan journalist Noor Mohammad Hashemi in Kabul
- Unidentified man attacked journalist for non-profit media outlet and attempted to shoot him

[01.11.22] Committee to Protect Journalists - Three Afghan journalists detained following coverage of anti-Taliban protests
- Three Afghan journalists detained after covering anti-Taliban protest on YouTube channel
- Family fears journalists will be tortured

[01.11.22] Nearly 80% of Journalists have Changed Jobs
- Journalists’ Foundation of Afghanistan says 79% of Afghan journalists have had to change their professions to make money and survive.

[12.28.21] Voice of America – Taliban Release Head of Private News Network
- News station owner, Aref Noori, detained from home from Taliban forces
- Taken/searched without warrant
- Represents attack/attempted censorship of media

[12.27.21] Taliban Arrest TV Network Owner
- Concern over future of free media/human rights in country

[12.27.21] Committee to Protect Journalists - Afghan TV station owner Aref Noori detained by Taliban-affiliated militia
- International committees devoted to protection of media are calling for his immediate return
- TV station often covers Afghan security issues
- Taliban not responding to requests for comment

[12.24.21] Al Jazeera
- Almost half of Afghan media closed since Taliban takeover
- 543 media outlets, now only 312 operating
- 6400 journalists lost jobs
- Caused by economic crisis and media limitations (outlets forced to self-censor)
- 84% of female journalists unemployed; 52% of male

[03.22.22] The Jurist – Formerly Independent Bar Association Merged with Taliban
- Taliban merged Afghanistan Independent Bar Association with Ministry of Justice and appointed leadership
- Taliban-appointed leadership regulates licensing, Bar Association activities, and implementation of law

[03.20.22] Afghanistan Judges Lawsuit Taliban
- Former Afghan judges file suit to regain their positions
- Former judges not allowed to complain directly about Taliban

[Link]

[03.02.22] - Former Judges Hold Protest Over Their 'Uncertain Fate'
- Former judges protest failure of government to pay salaries and "uncertain fate" in Kabul
- Judges threaten to flee country if Taliban government do not address their situation

[02.19.22] The Guardian – Taliban Want Revenge Afghanistan Female Judges in Exile
- Fifteen female judges and their families (about 70 people in total) forced to flee Afghanistan to Australia
- Fear revenge from violent criminals they sent to jail

[02.14.22] The Jurist
- Dean of Faculty of Sharia Law at Ghazni University in Afghanistan found dead following abduction by Taliban elements

[01.24.22] The Jurist – International Day of the Endangered Lawyer Voices from Afghanistan
- Female attorney afraid that Taliban will expand its crackdown against Afghan lawyers
- Female law student unable to continue education

[01.17.22] The Guardian
- Female prosecutor, who investigated men accused of abusing women, in hiding following threats from freed prisoners she help put in jail

[01.13.22] Canadian Lawyer Magazine
- International Bar Association urges U.N. to denounce and intervene in the Taliban takeover
- Taliban gained access to AIBA database and there is concern for personal safety of legal professionals on the database
-  IBA urges U.N. to make public statement condemning seizure of the AIBA’s database, bank account and funds. 

[01.12.22] Afghan Disabled Women Prosecutor Jobless
- Afghan prosecutors threatened by the criminals they helped convict, forced to go into hiding
- Prosecutors, judges, and lawyers have been killed, attacked, or threatened
- Female lawyer attacked and shot at in Kabul
- Only Taliban-approved lawyers can work, banning female lawyers from working

[01.10.22] The Jurist – Lawless Taliban
- Taliban attacked headquarters of Afghanistan's Independent Bar Association and detained and threatened its members and staff
- Taliban ruled that on Taliban-approved lawyers can practice law in their Islamic courts, which cancels the licenses of 2,500 Afghan lawyers.

[12.25.21] Female Judges and their Families Rescued
- UK lawyers rescue 100 female judges and families; vital in protecting women's rights
- Receiving death threats on phones from Taliban; feared for lives
- Sad to see judicial system crumbling under the Taliban

[12.09.21] International Bar Association - Taliban takeover threatens independence of Afghan Bar
- Afghan legal professionals, including members of AIBA executive team, flee the country
- Taliban obtain access to AIBA's database, putting lawyer's lives in danger because database contains registered lawyers' identities, family members, and addresses

[11.07.2021] Hasht e Subh Daily - “Taliban Bans Haircut as Western Style in Oruzgan.”

• The article discusses the Taliban banning barbers from shaving beards and trimming haircuts in a western style in Oruzgan. “The commission had already said, “Beard shaving is illegal according to the prophet of Islam’s hadiths and performer of such action commits a major sin.””

[Link]

[10.06.2021] Gandhara –  “Taliban’s ‘New’ Governing Style Includes Beatings for Beard Shaving”

• The article discusses the Taliban beating young men who shave their beards and trim their hair. “If we cut our beards the Taliban catch us and say: ‘You’re a member of the former government,’ and they beat us.” “One young man from Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital, told Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity that he was beaten and detained for a day after shaving his beard.”

[09.27.2021] AP News – “Taliban Issue No-Shave Order to Barbers in Afghan Province”

• The article discusses the Taliban banning barbershops in the Helmand province from shaving or trimming beards. “If anyone violates the rule (they) will be punished and no one has a right to complain.”

[Link]

[08.23.2021] New York Post – “Taliban are Reportedly Beating Afghans for Wearing Western Clothes.”

• The article discusses the Taliban beating young Afghans for wearing Western clothes. “A group of Afghan men claim Taliban fighters beat, whipped, and threatened them at gunpoint for wearing jeans and other Western-style clothes in Kabul.” “Similar reports have emerged on social media of young Afghan men being targeted for wearing T-shirts.”

[Link]

[03.21.2022] Human Rights Watch Report - Four Ways to Support Girls’ Access to Education in Afghanistan.

The report describes methods that would allow donors to press for human rights in their dealings with the Taliban’s education system and urges them to show support for "full access to quality education for Afghan girls and women."

[03.04.22] The University of Melbourne – Girls Forced to Act as Boys in Afghanistan
- Strong preference for boys, so families without sons pressure daughters to present male
- Preference for males due to distortion of religious texts, lack of infrastructure to support forced gender separation
- Daughter presenting as male increases family's social status
- Benefits: easier to find work, avoid shame, overcome healthcare barriers

[03.01.22] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - Afghanistan Crisis update: Women and Girls in Displacement
- Stats showing numbers and percentages of women fleeing to Central Asia
- Most say violence and insecurity is the reason they fled

[02.17.22] The Lancet Report - The bleak future of Afghan women's health under the Taliban
- Gender-based violence (GBV) is threaded through the lives of many Afghan women. Estimates from the United Nations Population Fund suggest that 87% of women in Afghanistan experience at least one form of GBV during their lifetime and 62% are subjected to multiple forms of violence, such as physical, sexual, and psychological harms.  The impacts of associated psychological trauma affect many women in Afghanistan and the regression of the rights of women and girls under the country's Taliban government aggravates this reality. As the situation in Afghanistan becomes increasingly precarious after some 6 months of the new Taliban regime, there are grave fears for the future of Afghan women's health.

- 87% of Afghan women experienced gender-based violence
- 62% of women victim to multiple kinds of GBV

[01.14.22] AP News – Afghan tradition Allows Girls to Access the Freedom of Boys
- Explains tradition of “bosh posh” girls dressing as boys to access freedoms of boys – attending school, playing outside until girls reach adolescent.

- In Afghanistan’s heavily patriarchal, male-dominated society, where women and girls are usually relegated to the home, bacha posh, Dari for “dressed as a boy,” is the one tradition allowing girls access to the freer male world.
- Commonplace practice where girl dresses, behaves, and acts like a boy for all freedom that this allows
- Can play sports, attend religious school and work for family

[01.12.22] Al Jazeera - Afghan women face hardship as Taliban struggles to revive economy
- Women first to run up against unpaid salaries
- Trying to find work as maids but few opportunities available

[01.12.22] The Brookings Institute - To help ensure food and economic security in Afghanistan, invest in the skills of young women and girls
- Argument in defense of including girls in agricultural education
- Can offer a solution to the systemic poverty

[12.29.21]  The Hill - Blinken appoints senior officials to address women’s rights in Afghanistan
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced two senior officials in State Department to focus on civil/human rights of Afghan women and girls
- Rina Amiri, special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights
- Stephenie Foster, senior advisor for female Afghans relocated to the US

[03.17.22]  News18 - From Ukraine to Afghanistan, Women War Refugees Have to Struggle Twice as Hard for Basics

- EU welcoming Ukrainian refugees with open arms, but averse to accepting Syrian and Afghan refugees
- most prominent issues facing female refugees: sexual violence and harassment, discrimination, violence
- Afghan women in particular: shyness to speak up about hygiene and sanitation issues due to conservative/patriarchal society

[02.03.22] NBC News - Young girls sold into marriage by desperate Afghan families
- Families face no choice but to sell their daughters for enough money to feed the rest of their families

[02.18.22] The Jurist - Afghanistan dispatch: ‘an Afghan family has sold four of their daughters for 42,000 Afghanis’
- Story of Afghan family who sold four daughters for enough money to buy flour and oil
- Mother suffering mental health struggles having sold all children

[03.24.22] AP News – Afghanistan Education United Nations Kabul Taliban
- Taliban surprisingly went back on their pledge to protect women's education
- further alienates them from international community
- especially challenging for female students in rural parts of country

[03.24.22] AP News – Afghanistan Education Kabul Taliban
- Taliban unexpectedly went back on promise to reopen schools to girls above sixth grade
- disappointment and uncertainty abounding

[03.24.22] Jurist – Afghanistan Dispatch Thousands of Girls Were Turned Back and Not Permitted to Enter Their Schools
- anti-Persian nationalism from Taliban leaders
- girls scheduled to return to school after 7 months without, only for that promise to be denied surprisingly once more
- girls schools met every requirement demanded by the Taliban but Taliban still kept the car closed

[03.23.22] BBC - Afghanistan girls' tears over chaotic Taliban schools U-turn
- stories of Afghan girls crying over change in schooling prospects
- women hoping to rebuild lives after surviving suicide bombings

[03.23.22] The Guardian –

 This article is more than 2 months old ‘Is it a crime to study?’: outcry as Taliban bar girls from secondary schools- begging Taliban to consider the question if going to school is a crime

[03.23.22] UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN - STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL - ON AFGHANISTAN
- statement from UN in response to Taliban's unexpected reversal of promise for girls' education

[03.23.22] Wall Street Journal – Taliban Abruptly Decide to Keep Secondary Schools Closed to Girls
- statement from Taliban released the night before girls were expected to return to school
- secondary schools for girls not allowed to reopen until uniforms designed to adhere to Islamic tradition; no date set
- dangerously treading towards Taliban's previous stance that no schooling or employment whatsoever was tolerated for girls

[03.20.22] Human Rights Watch - Four Ways to Support Girls’ Access to Education in Afghanistan
- outlines ways for individuals to support women's access to education without funding the Taliban's discrimination

[03.15.22] Jurist - Afghanistan dispatch: new restrictions imposed on students and faculty at Afghan universities
- restrictive rules set in place for reopening of universities
- professors and students cannot discuss the university or academic obstacles to media
- no smartphones

[03.10.22] The Guardian – Robed of Hope Afghan Girls Denied an Education Struggle with Depression
- depression increasing among girls without access to education
- no resources for mental stimulation

[03.03.22] Numbers Rising of Children Doing Hazardous Work
- more than 1 million children in Afghanistan need treatment for severe starvation
- thousands working in hazardous conditions to provide for their families
- more than 13 million children need humanitarian assistance for disease

[02.26.22] Al Jazeera – Afghan Main Universities Reopen but Few Women Return
- Kabul University finally reopened; mandatory hijab and separated genders
- classes forced to adhere to religious values
- few women actually return to class

[02.26.22] The Hill - Afghanistan’s Kabul University reopens after Taliban takeover   
- Kabul University finally reopened; mandatory hijab and separated genders
- classes forced to adhere to religious values
- few women actually return to class

[Link]

[02.25.22] Reuters – College Dreams Dashed Young Afghan Women Fight to Keep Poverty at Bay
- Afghan women giving up hopes of university education because they are forced to stay hope and fight off poverty for family

[02.24.22] The Conversation -

Afghanistan’s libraries go into blackout: ‘It is painful to see the distance between people and books grow’
- libraries in blackout; no electricity or staff to keep operations running
- people don't even have access to books
- private initiatives trying to promote reading, but it has fallen low on priority list of humanitarian crisis

[02.22.22] UNICEF – UNICEF Provides Support for All Public School Teachers in Afghanistan for Two Months
- UNICEF providing cash to fund public education; money into the pockets of public school teachers
- supporting the psychosocial support provided by schools as much as the intellectual one

[02.20.22] Al Jazeera – Hidden Away from Taliban a School Cave Continues to Teach Kids
- story of university student running remote school in rural area; school runs for two hours per day
- teaches around 50 children, mostly female

[02.18.22] Inside Higher Education – Afghan Universities are Half Empty and Segregated
- universities may be opening, but steep decline in quality of education and professors
- much fewer students
- 20% of teachers left universities; either fled country or can no longer teach; female professors prohibited

[02.13.22] No High School Graduates in 5 Paktika Districts in 20 Years
- 5 districts have not had a high school graduate in 5 years
- youth migrating to other countries or not finishing education

[02.10.22] The Guardian – We Have Never Given Up How Afghan Women are Demanding their Education Under the Taliban
- Taliban taking over schools to use as barracks
- story of woman fighting to kick Taliban out of building so girls could attend school
- in rural areas, girls education ends in sixth grade
- suicide bombers attacking girls schools

[02.08.22] Daily Mail – Taliban Elite Educate Daughters Abroad Millions of Girls Banned from Classrooms
- Taliban elite educating daughters abroad while girls in Afghanistan banned from class and in extreme poverty
- more than 80% of population relying on contaminated drinking water

[02.04.22] BBC News - Afghanistan women: 'I felt anxious going back to university'
- Only small number of women returned to university when Taliban reopened schools; some told they could only stay on campus for four hours a day because the rest of time allotted to men
- Only country in the world that publicly limits education based on gender

[Link]

[02.04.22] Equal Times – Afghanistan’s dire political and economic situation is undermining its fight against child labour
- 29% of Afghan children employed in child labor
- long hours, dangerous conditions, little pay
- child labor technically still illegal in Afghanistan

[02.03.22] CNN – Afghan universities reopen to female students but with strict rules on mixing
- universities open with strict rules for female students: separate classes, dress code, isolated studying shifts
- cannot move around university during male hours

[02.03.22] The Guardian – Afghan Universities Reopen with Strict Rules for Female Students
- universities open with strict rules for female students: separate classes, dress code, isolated studying shifts
- cannot move around university during male hours

[02.02.22] Afghan Public Universities Opened in Warm Zones
- lack of professors raising unique challenge in reopening of public universities
- high profile academic elites left the country

[02.02.22] Afghan Students With Indian Scholarships Protest Lack of Visas
- Afghan students with Indian scholarships protesting lack of visas
- "Don't sacrifice us for politics, education is our right"

[01.31.22] Afghanistan Analysts – Going Back to School Looking at the Taliban and Education through time
- report of education system throughout history of Taliban
- explains their hesitation in sending girls back to school

[01.31.22] How serious are the Taliban about full education for girls?
- Taliban's promise of secondary schooling for girls does not meet Western standards
- Taliban will only recognize women's rights if it can be justified by Islam

[01.19.22] Public Universities to Reopen in 10 Days IEA Officials
- for six months, nearly all educational facilities were closed
- 10 day countdown to public institutions reopening

[01.13.22] Business Standard – Afghanistan to Reopen Universities for Public Soon Including Women
- Taliban promise to reopen schools for women

[01.13.22] We Will Make Earning Ph.D. and Masters Degrees Possible in Afghanistan
- Taliban organizing sending Afghan students abroad for masters and PhD programs to close education gap within country

[01.10.22] Free Press Journal 
- schools closing due to political violence
- depriving over 30,000 students of education

[12.28.21] CBS News – American University of Afghanistan Students Scattered
- Uni of Afghanistan students have been evacuated to continue their studies in various countries around world
- navigating online format across huge time differences
- students participating among anxiety and loneliness

[Link]

[03.25.22] Wall Street Journal - New Taliban Rules Impose Chaperones on Afghan Women: Some can’t get medical treatment or taxi rides without male relatives to accompany them
- Male chaperones required for women in public; attempt to remove women from public life
- Cannot travel more than 48 miles without male relative
- Challenges: restricted transportation and lack of documentation

[03.24.22] Yahoo News - 4 Afghan Women Describe How Life Has Changed Under Taliban Rule
- Four Afghan women tell their story of how life has changed under the Taliban
- Girls who were previously winning sports competitions, now need to be sneaked in just to watch
- Women in supposedly the "safest city" are now stuck at home "like a caged bird"
- Women with popular art gallery now charged with crime
- Taliban tracking down and killing female police officers (including pregnant women)
- Female prosecutors fighting to protect women's rights that were ruined as soon as Taliban took over

[03.21.22] – Gandhara - HRW Says Donors Should Link Afghan Aid To Taliban's Observing Rights For Girls, Women
- Urging international aid to be tied to respecting women's rights to education
- Describes methods for donors to press for human rights
- Simply reopening the schools is not enough to increase access
- Hard to incentivize risk of attending school when women won't have access to the jobs they prepare for

[03.17.22] The Jurist - Afghanistan dispatch: Taliban leaders continue to reject broad participation in government

- No women participating in government; international community urging them to participate
- Targeted killings
- Women not allowed to travel without male companion
- International community saying they need to recognize women's rights in order to be recognized as a nation

[03.16.22] Gandhara - Taliban Resurrects Gender Segregation In Public Offices, Transport In Afghanistan

- Gender segregation in universities, government offices, public transportation
- Rolling back women's rights to education, employment, and healthcare; refusing to medical care to women without a hijab
- Demanding that female students taught by female teachers, but serious lack of employment opportunities for female teachers

[03.03.22] Voice of America - US Seeks Muslim Nations' Help to Counter Taliban Views on Afghan Women

- US urging Muslim majority nations (Qatar, Arabia) to encourage Taliban to reincorporate women into public life
- Diplomatic relations can advocate for political change
- Women cannot share transportation with men
- Taxi drivers cannot drive women without hijabs
- Vast majority of women's schools are closed
- Emphasizing opportunity to influence the Taliban from the inside

[03.02.22] Human Rights Watch - Afghan Women Watching the Walls Close In: Taliban Crushes Women’s Freedom of Movement and Other Rights
- Taliban members on the street attacked women for not abiding by dress code, but the rules varied per officer
- Women's school closed
- Transportation restricted
- Blocked from healthcare without a mahram (guardian)

[02.23.22] Center for Strategic & International Studies - Struggling to Survive: Gender, Displacement, and Migration in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan
- Taliban leaders are currently implementing a draft of discriminatory measures to effectively erase women’s participation in civil life in Afghanistan.

- Amidst largest humanitarian crisis of the globe, the Taliban is limiting half of the population's access to the public
- Prohibiting public transport, dress code, preventing girls over age 12 from school
- Women abused and detained for speaking out against changes
- Longstanding socioeconomic barriers that restrict education, work, and social services
- Safe houses for survivors of domestic abuse closed

[02.22.22] Ms. Magazine - How the Taliban's return has changed Afghan women's lives......
- Women feel abandoned with the withdrawal of US troops
- Doubly affected by humanitarian crisis but abandoned by the international communities who promised to protect them

[02.22.22] Gandhara - Afghan Beauty Parlors Take A Cut After Taliban Takeover
- Beauty parlors closing; images and public appearances against Taliban rule
- 90% of salons forced to closed
- Clients themselves are fleeing

[02.22.22] Gandhara – Taliban Tells Working Women to Cover Up – Even With A Blanket
- Women forced to cover up while working or else will lose their jobs
- Hijabs mandatory; forced to cover up, even with blanket
- Women allowed to fully return to work when segregated spaces have been achieved

[02.15.22] – Independent Coverage of the UN - Meanwhile in Afghanistan, Women Are Suffering Needlessly This Winter
- Women have taken to begging in the street in order to feed families
- Women demoted, devalued, and expendable
- Denied access to basic rights

Afghan women face increasing violence and repression under the Taliban after international spotlight fades
- Decreasing international attention on human rights violations has left more room for Afghan women to be neglected
- Personal threats of violence to women and LGBTQ members
- Experts suggesting that Taliban is getting closer to previous stance towards women that they took throughout the 90s

[02.04.22] Asia - Professional women of Kabul rail against Taliban-imposed restrictions
- Story of female defense lawyer who continues to represent women divorcing from Taliban soldiers

[01.18.22] Human Rights Watch - Afghanistan: Taliban Deprive Women of Livelihoods, Identity

Severe Restrictions, Harassment, Fear in Ghazni Province
- Women deprived of opportunities for livelihoods and identities
- Women losing their jobs after being sole breadwinner for family; cannot provide for children
- Rules for dress, travel, work, kinds of cell phones
- Taliban dismantled Women's Affairs Ministry

[01.17.22] MacLeans - The world left these Afghan women behind. Now they’re fending for themselves.
- Taliban enforced a "non-life" on women and girls
- Women weigh costs of leaving country for education with what they would leave behind
- Families struggling the most are those where breadwinner is woman

[01.17.22] United Nations News – Experts decry measures to ‘steadily erase’ Afghan women and girls from public life
- Comprehensive article of problems faced by women
- Female breadwinners hit the hardest
- No opportunities for employment or education

[01.17.22] Gandhara - Taliban Setting Out To Exclude Women, Girls From Public Life, UN Experts Warn
- Efforts to erase women from public life are even worse in minority communities; these women are most vulnerable in Afghanistan

[01.12.22]  Washington Post - Portraits of fear and loss: Taliban rule through the eyes of four women in Afghanistan
- Women struggling to survive under Taliban; previously owned businesses and/or went to school
- Women not allowed to be featured on television; photos removed from hair salons
- Taxi drivers told to refuse accepting female passengers

[01.10.22] Reuters - Afghan women losing jobs fast as economy shrinks and rights curtailed
- Afghan women losing jobs fast as economy shrinks and rights curtailed

- Making matters worse, the Taliban will only allow women to work subject to their interpretation of Islamic law, prompting some to leave jobs out of fear of punishment by a group that severely restricted their freedom the last time it ruled.

[01.10.22] Gandhara - Taliban Religious Police Erect Banners Ordering Women To Wear Islamic Hijab
- Taliban religious police now flying banners that force women to wear hijab
- Posters say hijab but show pictures of burka
- Taliban arguing that it is part of Afghan culture, but women disagreeing

[12.27.21] BBC - Afghanistan's Taliban ban long-distance road trips for solo women
- Women cannot travel more than 72 km (45 miles) without close male relative

[03.02.22] Time - Zahra Joya Fled the Taliban. She's Still Telling the Stories of Afghan Women
- Extremely dangerous place for female journalists; 80% have lost their jobs since start of Taliban
- Interview with a woman who went to school dressed a boy during her youth

[02.18.22] BBC - Five Afghan women who refuse to be silenced
- Taliban claiming "blue-eyed devils" (westerners) corrupted Afghan society
- Women in hiding, living on street; freedom under attack
- Article includes stories from 5 women who refused to be silenced under Taliban rule

[02.09.22] The Guardian - Living in a woman’s body: the Taliban fear our beauty, strength – and resistance
- Story of one Afghan woman's relationship with her body as understood through the eyes of the Taliban and as a symbol of rebellion

[01.24.22] New York Times - Threatened and Beaten, Afghan Women Defy Taliban With Protests
- Female women fired; protesting unfair treatment
- Taliban spraying women with pepper spray, calling them slurs, threatening to beat them
- Protests rarely last long, but women still show up to express opinions
- Women dress up as men to pass through Taliban checkpoints

[01.18.22] Human Rights Watch – Taliban Use Harsh Tactics to Crush Afghan Women’s Rights Protest Threats, Assaults, and ‘Less-Lethal Weapons’ Against Peaceful Protesters
- Taliban attacking protest to shut it down quickly
- Using pepper spray and electric shock to scare protestors away

[01.17.22] Khaama - Women in Kabul ask IEA to reopen women’s ministry
- Pro-Taliban women protested in Kabul to urge the opening of the Women's Affairs Ministry
- Rare demonstration from Taliban supporters
- Arguing for education and employment opportunities

[12.28.21] Women Protesters Injured In Stampede After Taliban Militants Fire In The Air
- Stampede at women's rights protest caused by Taliban guards
- Injured several women; not clear how many exactly, but about 130 women in attendance at protest total

[12.28.21] Voice of America - Witnesses: Taliban Fire Warning Shots on Afghan Female Protesters
- Female activists protested new rules in Kabul
- Taliban responded by firing warning shots