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Zan News: The "Women Towards Freedom" movement, on the occasion of International Education Day, issued a statement emphasizing the need to reopen schools and universities to girls and women in Afghanistan. Social Media Protesting Women: Denying Girls Education is Denying the Identity, Ability, and Future of Half of Afghanistan's Society January 25, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The "Women Towards Freedom" movement, on the occasion of International Education Day, issued a statement emphasizing the need to reopen schools and universities to girls and women in Afghanistan. The statement, published on Friday (January 24), mentions that International Education Day is a symbol of celebrating the fundamental right to learn and gain knowledge for all humans. However, in Afghanistan, the doors of schools and universities are closed to girls and women. "This act is not only the deprivation of the right to education but also the denial of the identity, ability, and future of half of society." The "Women Towards Freedom" movement strongly criticized the Taliban's misogynistic policies that have deprived women of education, stating that these actions are not just a personal tragedy for the girls who dream of learning, but a deep wound on the body of society, with effects that will last for generations. In their statement, the movement called on the international community and international organizations to apply political and economic pressure on the Taliban for the immediate reopening of schools and universities to girls and women in Afghanistan, and to condemn the Taliban's educational restrictions as a violation of human rights. The movement also urged the global community to create international solidarity to defend the right to education for Afghan women and girls and ensure access to education as an inalienable human right. In conclusion, the "Women Towards Freedom" movement stated that the world cannot remain silent in the face of this injustice and that it is the historical responsibility of the international community to protect the future generations of Afghanistan from this systematic discrimination.

Zan News: The Taliban's Supreme Court announced on Wednesday (April 9) that a woman in Sar-e-Pul province was publicly flogged on charges of "illicit relations." Photo: @SupremeCourt_af on X Taliban Flogged a Woman in Sar-e-Pul April 9, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban's Supreme Court announced on Wednesday (April 9) that a woman in Sar-e-Pul province was publicly flogged on charges of "illicit relations." According to the statement, the Taliban's criminal court in Sar-e-Pul sentenced the woman to 39 lashes and one year of enforced imprisonment. The Taliban's Supreme Court added that this sentence was carried out in the presence of local officials, government employees, military personnel of the group, and court visitors. It is noteworthy that since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the group has repeatedly carried out public corporal punishments against citizens, and to date, six people have been executed in front of hundreds of spectators. International human rights organizations consider these actions by the Taliban to be violations of human rights principles and contrary to international law.

Zan News: Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over the expulsion process of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, warning that if these individuals return to Afghanistan, they will face the risk of Taliban retaliation. Photo: AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi Human Rights Watch: Afghan Refugees Face Taliban Retaliation March 19, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over the expulsion process of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, warning that if these individuals return to Afghanistan, they will face the risk of Taliban retaliation. This human rights organization stated in a report on Wednesday (March 19) that in addition to the threats from the Taliban, Afghan refugees are also grappling with severe economic challenges. The report states: "The human rights situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate since the Taliban came to power." Human Rights Watch has called on the Pakistani government to halt the forced expulsion of Afghan refugees. The organization also urged the Taliban to refrain from carrying out retaliatory actions against Afghan refugees. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has ordered Afghan refugees without legal documents and holders of the "ICC" card to leave the country by March 31.

Zan News: Following the Taliban's reaction to the participation of three Afghan female athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kamia Yousufi, one of Afghanistan’s representatives in these competitions, stated that she is "representing the stolen dreams" of Afghan women. Kamia Yousufi: I am Representing the Stolen Dreams of Afghan Women at the Paris Olympics July 10, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Following the Taliban's reaction to the participation of three Afghan female athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kamia Yousufi, one of Afghanistan’s representatives in these competitions, stated that she is "representing the stolen dreams" of Afghan women. On Tuesday (July 9), Yousufi told the Australian Olympic Committee that she represents the girls and women who have been deprived of their right to education under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. She said, "It is an honor to once again represent the girls of my homeland, girls and women who are deprived of their basic rights, including education, which is the most important." Kamia Yousufi, a sprinter, first participated in the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil and later in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This will be her third appearance in the Olympic Games. Yousufi’s remarks come as the Taliban announced that they do not recognize the three Afghan female athletes participating in the Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, reacted to the lack of support from the Taliban for Afghan female athletes in the Paris Olympics. He called for support from sports organizations both inside and outside the country. Bennett posted on X, "Women and girls in Afghanistan have the right to participate in sports. I eagerly await the competition of talented and inspiring Afghan women and men in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris." Previously, the spokesperson for the Afghanistan Olympic Committee, now under Taliban control, stated that the committee does not recognize the three women participating in the Paris Olympics and only acknowledges the three male representatives of Afghanistan. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will begin on July 26 and continue until August 11, three women will represent Afghanistan in cycling and sprinting. Three men will also participate, with two joining from abroad. Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, women's sports have been banned in the country, and many female athletes have left and are living in exile.

Zan News: According to the latest update from the World Food Programme (WFP), three million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition. Nutrition Crisis Catastrophe in Afghanistan: Three Million Children Suffer from Malnutrition May 28, 2024 Zan News Zan News: According to the latest update from the World Food Programme (WFP), three million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition. The organization made these statements on its X page on Tuesday (May 28) on the occasion of "World Nutrition Day." Of these three million children, the organization has only been able to reach 1.3 million of them. According to the organization, poverty, the financial crisis, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation are the main factors that have put Afghan children at risk of malnutrition. The WFP had previously announced that 2.3 million pregnant women in Afghanistan are also suffering from malnutrition. United Nations statistics show that currently, more than a third of Afghanistan's population is facing food shortages. This comes as poverty, hunger, and a decrease in financial assistance have increased under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

Zan News: A 10-year-old child lost his life due to the explosion of a leftover mortar shell from past wars in the Qarabagh district of Ghazni province. Explosion of a Mortar Shell in Ghazni Claims the Life of a 10-Year-Old Child July 20, 2024 Zan News Zan News: A 10-year-old child lost his life due to the explosion of a leftover mortar shell from past wars in the Qarabagh district of Ghazni province. Hamidullah Nisar, the Taliban's head of information and culture in Ghazni, said in a conversation with the media that on Saturday morning (July 20), a 10-year-old child was killed by the explosion of a mortar shell while herding livestock in the village of "Maluk" in the Qarabagh district. According to Nisar, the explosion occurred when the child found the mortar shell and started playing with it. He added that this is not the first time a mortar shell has exploded in the Qarabagh district; similar incidents have happened before in this district. It is worth mentioning that Afghanistan is one of the most contaminated countries with unexploded ordnance, which periodically claims the lives of its citizens, especially children. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan previously reported that 60 people, mostly children, are killed or disabled each month due to explosions of leftover landmines in Afghanistan. According to the latest reports, nearly 606 square kilometers of Afghan soil are contaminated with landmines and explosive ordnance.

Zan News: Local sources in Nangarhar province report that the Taliban prison warden in this province forcibly married a girl prisoner. Social Media Taliban Prison Warden in Nangarhar Has Forcibly Married a Girl Prisoner November 18, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Local sources in Nangarhar province report that the Taliban prison warden in this province forcibly married a girl prisoner. Sources stated on Monday (November 18) that the Taliban prison warden in Nangarhar, Mawlavi Mohammad Muqtada, forcibly married a young girl. According to the sources, this young girl and another boy, who had fled from Pakistan, were captured and imprisoned by the Taliban in Nangarhar. The sources indicated that after releasing the boy, Mawlavi Mohammad Muqtada married the girl. This Taliban official released the boy under the condition that he would not disclose the matter. Another source added that Mawlavi Mohammad Muqtada has provided the girl with a separate house in Jalalabad city, where they are now living together. So far, the Taliban in Nangarhar have not made any statements regarding this matter. Meanwhile, the Taliban punish women accused of fleeing home in public. Previously, the Taliban also forcibly married a young girl in the Chah-Āb district of Takhar.

Zan News: Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, has stated that he discussed the situation in Afghanistan with Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNAMA. Social Media Pakistan's Special Representative Meets Roza Otunbayeva and Tarig Ali Bakheet at Girls' Education Conference January 12, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, has stated that he discussed the situation in Afghanistan with Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNAMA. This meeting took place on Saturday (January 11) on the sidelines of the international conference titled "Girls' Education in Muslim Societies: Challenges and Opportunities," which is being held in Islamabad. Mohammad Sadiq wrote on his X page: "We had fruitful discussions regarding the current situation in Afghanistan and the international community's efforts concerning the humanitarian needs of the country." The Special Representative of Pakistan also met with Tarig Ali Bakheet, the OIC Special Representative for Afghanistan. During this meeting, discussions took place on the latest developments in Afghanistan and the efforts of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the humanitarian situation in the country. It is worth noting that the international conference on girls' education in Muslim societies, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of educating girls, began on Saturday in Islamabad and is continuing today. Given the ban on girls' education above the sixth grade in Afghanistan by the Taliban, some of the participants at this conference have stated that they will discuss this issue and demand accountability from the Taliban regarding this matter. This conference is being held at a time when, since returning to power, the Taliban has banned girls' education beyond the sixth grade in Afghanistan—an action that has been widely condemned by the international community.

Zan News: Local sources in Baghlan province have reported that a young girl in the province was killed by her husband just two days after her wedding. Social Media Murder of a New Bride by Her Husband in Baghlan February 8, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Local sources in Baghlan province have reported that a young girl in the province was killed by her husband just two days after her wedding. Sources on Saturday (8 February) stated that the incident occurred three days ago in the Jarkhushk area, part of central Baghlan district. Meanwhile, medical sources at the central hospital in Baghlan have confirmed that the girl, originally a resident of Kunduz province, was strangled to death by her husband. The motive behind the murder is still unclear, and local Taliban officials in Baghlan have not commented on the matter. This incident comes just one week after a newlywed bride committed suicide in Kandahar province. It is worth noting that since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, domestic violence and suicide rates among girls and women have risen alarmingly.

Zan News: A coalition of over 30 human rights organizations has announced that Masouda Jalal, former Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan, and her daughter Hasna Jalal, have been awarded the 2025 Geneva Summit International Women’s Rights Award. Photo: Marieke van der Velden Masouda Jalal and Hasna Jalal Receive the Geneva Summit 2025 International Women’s Rights Award February 19, 2025 Zan News Zan News: A coalition of over 30 human rights organizations has announced that Masouda Jalal, former Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan, and her daughter Hasna Jalal, have been awarded the 2025 Geneva Summit International Women’s Rights Award. In a statement released on Tuesday (February 18), the award was said to be presented on behalf of all Afghan women who have fought for human rights and equality. The statement highlighted that Masouda Jalal was the first woman to run for the presidency in Afghanistan and founded the Jalal Foundation to empower women. Hasna Jalal, meanwhile, established the Afghan Young Women’s Movement to amplify women’s voices globally. The award was presented to Masouda and Hasna Jalal at the 17th annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. This recognition comes at a time when the Taliban, since taking power in Afghanistan, have implemented discriminatory policies that have deprived women and girls of many of their fundamental rights.