Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says the Taliban have systematically turned Afghanistan into an “information prison” over the past five years, where each new directive further restricts the space for journalists and independent media to operate.

Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, the Movement of Empowered Afghan Women Residing in Iran says excluding women and girls from education, work, and social and political participation is a clear violation of human rights and a serious obstacle to peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, the Women’s Movement Towards Freedom has called on the United Nations, governments and human rights organisations not to remain silent in the face of violations of the rights of the Afghan people and to refrain from normalising relations with the Taliban without guarantees for citizens’ fundamental rights.

The Human Rights Activists Union, responding to the Taliban’s continued arrests of women in Herat, says no society can achieve stability, justice or legitimacy by imprisoning women, silencing girls and imposing fear on families.