While the Taliban refer to the fourth anniversary of their return to power as "Independence Day", this day is a reminder of the beginning of a dark chapter, filled with restrictions and repression, for Afghan women and girls.

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has expressed deep concern about the current situation in Afghanistan, saying that years of progress, particularly in women’s and girls’ rights, “have been erased before the eyes of the world” since the Taliban’s takeover.

The Afghanistan Independent Media Support Organization (NAI), welcoming the recent report of the United States Department of State on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, has said that this report only reflects part of the reality and that the situation of freedom of expression in the country is far worse than stated.

The Taliban in the provinces of Sar-e-Pul and Laghman have flogged 24 people, including five women, on charges such as extramarital relations, running away from home, phone conversations, and premeditated murder.