Zan News - Nuristan: Two people, including a child, were killed and one other injured in a clash between residents of two villages in Waigal district, Nuristan province. Clash Between Residents of Two Villages in Nuristan Kills Two, Including a Child June 1, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Nuristan: Two people, including a child, were killed and one other injured in a clash between residents of two villages in Waigal district, Nuristan province. Taliban local officials in Nuristan say the incident occurred around 3:00 pm on Thursday (May 30) between residents of the villages of "Arnas and Kalikel" in Waigal district of the province. According to Mujiburrahman, press officer of the Taliban's security command in Nuristan, the cause of the clash was a dispute over grazing land, and the clash lasted for about three hours before being stopped by the intervention of Taliban forces. Mujiburrahman says that one child and one man were killed and one other injured in the clash. The identities of the victims and the injured have not yet been released. The press officer of the Taliban's security command in Nuristan adds that investigations into the incident are ongoing. He did not say anything about the arrest of those involved in the clash between the residents of the two villages. Nuristan is a mountainous province in eastern Afghanistan, where most of the residents rely on livestock, agriculture, and natural resources for their needs. The province has previously witnessed similar clashes between residents of two villages over grazing land and tribal disputes, which have also resulted in casualties.

Zan News: The Taliban flogged five individuals, including one woman, on various charges in the provinces of Takhar and Faryab. Social Media Taliban Flog Five People, Including a Woman, in Takhar and Faryab November 17, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban flogged five individuals, including one woman, on various charges in the provinces of Takhar and Faryab. The individuals were publicly flogged today, Sunday (November 17), in the Dargad district of Takhar province and in the Pashtunkot and Dawlatabad districts of Faryab province. According to statements released by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, these individuals were accused of "extramarital relations, running away from home, theft, and sodomy," and each of them received 39 lashes. The Taliban stated that the sentences were issued by the group's primary courts in the Dargad district of Takhar and the Pashtunkot and Dawlatabad districts of Faryab. It is worth noting that in the past month, aside from these five individuals, the Taliban have flogged another 90 people, including 13 women, in various provinces of the country on different charges. Since the Taliban’s return to power three years ago, the group has gradually reverted to its 1990s policies, which include the public execution of corporal punishments. International organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, have previously condemned the Taliban's corporal punishments and called for an immediate halt to such practices.

Zan News: The fourth round of the Vienna meeting on Afghanistan is set to take place in Austria, featuring anti-Taliban political and military groups. Fourth Round of Vienna Meeting on Afghanistan will be Held with Anti-Taliban Political and Military Groups June 23, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The fourth round of the Vienna meeting on Afghanistan is set to take place in Austria, featuring anti-Taliban political and military groups. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Monday (June 24), in Vienna, Austria, with the participation of six political parties, military factions, and 22 civil and human rights activists. This session, held on the eve of the third Doha meeting, will see anti-Taliban groups, including the National Resistance Council, the Afghanistan Freedom Front, the National Resistance Front, the Islamic Movement Party, the Islamic Society Party, and the Islamic Unity Party, discuss a specific agenda regarding Afghanistan's future. The topics on the agenda include Afghanistan's political outlook, human rights, terrorism, the economy, and Afghanistan's relations with the international community. The outcomes of this three-day meeting will be announced at a press conference. This meeting occurs as the Taliban attend the third Doha meeting on Afghanistan at the invitation of the United Nations, a move condemned by anti-Taliban groups. The Doha meeting is scheduled for June 30 and July 1, 2024, and has faced significant criticism due to the absence of representatives from Afghan women and political factions.

Zan News: The "Afghanistan Republican Women's Network" has welcomed the United Nations' move to recognize "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan, calling it an important step toward achieving social justice and gender equality. Afghanistan Republican Women's Network Welcomes UN Action to Recognize Gender Apartheid October 6, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The "Afghanistan Republican Women's Network" has welcomed the United Nations' move to recognize "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan, calling it an important step toward achieving social justice and gender equality. In a statement released by this network, this UN action, which criminalizes 'gender-based violence and discrimination' against Afghan women by the Taliban, is considered a milestone in the path to ending the oppression of Afghan women. The network emphasized that the Taliban, through their policies of "gender apartheid," have eliminated women from all aspects of society, isolating them. The network expressed its readiness to document these crimes and called on the international community to promptly recognize this apartheid. They also demanded that Taliban leaders be prosecuted as the main perpetrators of systematic crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Afghanistan Republican Women's Network further urged all human rights organizations to use diplomatic and legal pressure to pave the way for justice and an end to "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan. The statement emphasized the importance of the upcoming UN Human Rights Committee session in October, calling for the initiation of an international criminal case against the Taliban. It warned that any delay in this process would lead to continued human rights violations against Afghan women and undermine the credibility of international institutions.

Zan News: The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has recently announced the opening of a treatment center specifically for women and children addicted to drugs in Helmand province. Photo: moph.gov.af Special Hospital for Treating Women and Children with Addiction Opens in Helmand April 20, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has recently announced the opening of a treatment center specifically for women and children addicted to drugs in Helmand province. According to the ministry’s statement, this treatment center has 20 beds and provides free medical services to addicted women and children. The opening ceremony was attended by local Taliban officials as well as representatives from some partner organizations. However, the Ministry of Public Health has not provided details about the implementing institutions or the exact number of drug-addicted patients in Helmand. This treatment center has been launched at a time when Afghanistan’s health system is facing severe shortages of resources, a significant drop in international aid, and serious operational challenges. Recent statistics from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicate that around 4 million people in Afghanistan are addicted to drugs, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the country’s population. Among them, women and children are considered the most vulnerable groups. According to the report, only one in every 18 addicted women in Afghanistan has access to treatment services, compared to one in every 11 men. Poverty, cultural barriers, and a lack of specialized centers are cited as the main reasons women are deprived of addiction treatment.

Zan News: A man in Kenya has confessed to killing 42 women over the past two years, including his wife. Kenyan Man Confesses to Killing 42 Women Over the Past Two Years July 16, 2024 Zan News Zan News: A man in Kenya has confessed to killing 42 women over the past two years, including his wife. According to CNN on Monday (July 15), citing Kenyan police, the man was arrested after several bodies were discovered in a quarry in Nairobi, the capital of the country. The man's name is Collins Jumaisi, and he is 33 years old. In his initial statements, he admitted to his crime. Mohamed Amin, Kenya's Director of Criminal Investigations, told reporters that Jumaisi was arrested outside a club where he had gone to watch the Euro 2024 final match. He added, "The suspect confessed during interrogation to luring, killing, and disposing of 42 women's bodies at a dumping site. These murders occurred between 2022 and July 11, 2024." Amin stated that according to Jumaisi's confessions, his first victim was his wife, whom he strangled and killed before dismembering her body and dumping it at the site. Kenyan authorities say that several mobile phones, identification cards, sharp objects, plastic gloves, and dozens of bags were found at his house. This comes after mass graves were discovered in a forest in the Kilifi region of Kenya last year.

Zan News: On the third anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the UN Women’s has released a statement saying that over the past three years, the Taliban has issued 70 decrees directly targeting the independence, rights, and daily lives of Afghan women and girls. Photo: UN Women/Sayed Habib Bidell UN: Taliban has Directly Targeted the Independence, Rights, and Daily Lives of Afghan Women Through 70 Decrees August 14, 2024 Zan News Zan News: On the third anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the UN Women’s has released a statement saying that over the past three years, the Taliban has issued 70 decrees directly targeting the independence, rights, and daily lives of Afghan women and girls. According to the organization, the situation for women and girls in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has severely deteriorated, with many of the gender equality advancements made in the country being destroyed by the Taliban's "oppressive" orders. The UN Women’s noted that the Taliban has imposed severe gender restrictions during this period, including bans on work, education, and women entering public spaces such as parks and sports clubs. This organization said based on a survey published by the "Voices of Women for Inclusive and Sustainable Peace" organization, 98% of Afghan women feel they have little or no influence over decision-making in their communities, and 68% report their mental health as poor or very poor. Additionally, 8% of Afghan citizens have reported knowing at least one woman or girl who has committed suicide. The UN Women’s emphasized that Afghan women and girls have not ceased their efforts to achieve their rights over these three years. The statement also noted that "UN Women is present in Afghanistan and supports Afghan women and girls every day. Our strategy within the country focuses on investing in women." This comes amidst severe restrictions imposed on women and girls since the Taliban seized power on August 15, 2021, depriving them of fundamental rights such as education, work, recreation, and travel without a male guardian.

The Embassy of Afghanistan in Pakistan, administered by the Taliban, stated in a statement on Wednesday, February 19, that Pakistan has decided to expel all Afghan refugees residing in the country, and this decision will be implemented soon. Photo: FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP The Expulsion of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan February 20, 2025 Muhammad Jawad - Pakistan The Embassy of Afghanistan in Pakistan, administered by the Taliban, stated in a statement on Wednesday, February 19, that Pakistan has decided to expel all Afghan refugees residing in the country, and this decision will be implemented soon. The statement noted that the arrests of Afghan citizens are ongoing in the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, where they are being forcibly expelled from these cities and ordered to move to other regions of Pakistan. The Afghan Embassy described this action as concerning and stated that all these measures are being carried out without any official announcement or prior notice. The Afghan Embassy further stated that actions against Afghan citizens by Pakistani authorities have intensified in recent days. Police officials are not only detaining refugees but also searching their homes. The embassy mentioned that this process has started without any official decree, and they have not yet received any formal correspondence regarding the matter. The Situation of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently around 1.45 million registered Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. However, in addition to this, hundreds of thousands of unregistered Afghans also reside there. For many, Pakistan had served as a safe haven from insecurity and economic crises. Pakistani authorities state that the decision to expel undocumented Afghan refugees has been made in accordance with legal requirements. The government’s stance is that only unregistered refugees will be sent back to control illegal activities and reduce the burden on the country's economy. Human rights organizations have expressed serious concerns over this decision by Pakistan. They warn that if Afghan refugees are forcibly returned to Afghanistan, their lives will face severe risks due to the ongoing political instability, economic crisis, and security issues in the country. Pakistani officials claim that the expulsion of undocumented Afghan refugees is necessary due to security concerns and economic pressures. The government asserts that only those Afghans who lack legal documentation or any established official status of residence will be deported. Future Concerns for Refugees Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan are facing a severe crisis and an uncertain future. Many Afghan families have been living there for years and consider Pakistan their second home. However, this sudden decision of expulsion puts their future at risk. If this policy is implemented, hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees will be forced to leave Pakistan and return to a country where there are limited opportunities for employment, shelter, and security.

Zan News - Badakhshan: A 19-year-old girl in Badakhshan province drowned and died while trying to save her niece from the Kokcha River. A Young Girl Drowns in the Kokcha River in Badakhshan July 13, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Badakhshan: A 19-year-old girl in Badakhshan province drowned and died while trying to save her niece from the Kokcha River. Zabihullah Amiri, the head of information and culture for the Taliban in Badakhshan province, said that the incident occurred on the morning of Friday, July 12, in the "Layaba" area of Faizabad city, the provincial capital. According to Amiri, the young girl drowned while attempting to rescue her niece from the water. He added, "The five-year-old child was saved from the river, but her aunt, who went into the water to rescue her, drowned and died." Amiri noted that the body of the young girl has not yet been found, and the search for her body continues. He also mentioned that the young girl had gone to the Kokcha River with her family for recreation. This incident follows another one that occurred a week ago, where an 18-year-old boy drowned and died while swimming in the Kokcha River. It is worth mentioning that during the hot season, cases of drowning in water are reported from other provinces as well, mostly from the east and south of the country.

Zan News: On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, UN Women stated that in 2023, one woman was deliberately killed every 10 minutes worldwide by family members or other individuals. Image: un women UN Women: In 2023, A Woman Was Intentionally Killed Every 10 Minutes Worldwide November 25, 2024 Zan News Zan News: On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, UN Women stated that in 2023, one woman was deliberately killed every 10 minutes worldwide by family members or other individuals. In a statement released on Monday, November 25, the organization urged world leaders to "unite without excuse" to end violence against women. According to the statement, around 60% of these women were killed by their husbands or family members. It also stated that one in three women has experienced violence during her lifetime. UN Women also highlighted that girls are more vulnerable to violence. The statement noted that one in four adolescent girls has been abused by a partner. The organization further emphasized that most of the killings of women are gender-based. The statement said: "This is a global problem and the most brutal, visible, and extreme manifestation of the cycle of gender-based violence that women and girls endure." UN Women also reported that cases of violence against women are rising globally and announced the launch of a 16-day campaign to combat violence against women in South Asia and the Pacific region. According to the organization, this campaign is seen as an opportunity to revive commitments and call for accountability and action from global decision-makers to end violence against women. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, since the Taliban's return to power, women have faced various forms of physical and psychological violence. Although the exact statistics on the murder of women in the country are unclear, a large number of women and girls have been deliberately killed over the past three years.