AI-generated editorial illustration by Zan TV A coalition of four civil organizations has announced the launch of a People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women. According to a statement issued by the coalition on Thursday, July 31, the goal of this tribunal is to fight against impunity and prevent the normalization of Taliban oppression against women in Afghanistan. The statement notes that public hearings of this tribunal will be held from October 8 to 10 in Madrid, Spain, with the presence of an international panel of judges. According to the announcement, four prosecutors, in collaboration with international experts, are preparing a formal indictment to be presented before the court, and a team has been tasked with gathering documentation and evidence. This unprecedented initiative is being carried out by four organizations: “Rawadari,” “Human Rights Activists,” “Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy,” and “Research and Development.” One of the prosecutors of this People’s Tribunal stated, “When crimes against humanity are committed, the silence of other governments becomes a crime in itself. The People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women will compel the world to listen to the voices of Afghan women.” This initiative comes as the International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban’s supreme leader and chief justice, on charges of crimes against humanity. According to the court’s statement, there are reasonable grounds to believe that “Akhundzada and Haqqani, through ordering, inciting, or encouraging the persecution of women and girls based on their gender, as well as the harassment of those who oppose the Taliban’s gender policies, have committed crimes against humanity under Article 7 (1)(h) of the Rome Statute.” The Taliban have declared that they do not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, but human rights organizations have welcomed this development.

Photo: Mohammad Barno / Avash Media “Ending life may be better than being imprisoned at home” New findings by Zan News show that more than 60 percent of women and girls who were forcibly deported from Iran and returned to Afghanistan in the past three months are suffering from severe psychological and mental health problems. These results are based on a field study in which 200 returned women and girls in three border provinces of the country, including Farah, Herat, and Nimroz, were directly interviewed. In each of these provinces, around 67 returned women were questioned. Women who responded to Zan News interviews mostly spoke about feelings of helplessness, deep sadness, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and lack of motivation to continue living. The findings show that these psychological problems began immediately after deportation and, with the passing of weeks, not only have not decreased but in most cases have even intensified. Gulsum, a 22-year-old girl in Nimroz who has returned to the country, says: “In Iran, despite the difficulties, I imagined a future for myself, but now I am in a house where I am not even allowed to go outside. Every day I think what is the point of this life, three times I decided to commit suicide but I did not succeed, ending life may be better than being imprisoned at home.” Among those who were interviewed, teenage and young girls are more exposed to psychological harm than others. Doctors in clinics in Herat and Farah also confirm that most of the visitors suffering from psychological problems are girls between 14 and 27 years old. According to them, these girls come to health centers with symptoms such as severe depression, insomnia, chronic anxiety, identity disorder, and suicidal thoughts. Dr. Zarmina, a psychologist in Herat, says: “The increase in these visitors is worrying. In the past three months, we have faced a wave of girls whose lives have completely collapsed after returning. They do not see a future for themselves because they have lost their school, work, and freedom.” According to the data of this research, the main reasons for the deterioration of the mental health of returned women are: Forced return without preparation to an unsafe and unstable country Lack of supportive, economic, and psychological facilities after return Restrictive policies of the Taliban that have severely limited women’s individual freedoms Marzia, a student who studied up to the tenth grade in Iran and now lives in Farah after forced deportation, tells Zan News: “In Iran, I was studying and had dreams for my future, but now I am not even allowed to leave the house. Only at night I think about how to end my life.” According to the data of this research, most of the interviewees have either had suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide, and fortunately were saved with the help of their family members or friends. Farida Mohammadi, a middle-aged woman who was deported from Iran and now lives in Herat with her disabled husband, says that she has attempted suicide four times but has not succeeded in ending her life. She adds: “I swear to God I tried to kill myself four times, I am tired of this life, with whatever I find I want to free myself from this life, because I have nothing, there is no work for me, my children ask for bread and food, my husband cannot work, where can I go, we have no shelter.” Zan News in this research has systematically collected data through face-to-face interviews, structured questionnaires, and experimental psychological analysis with the cooperation of specialist consultants. Main Statistics of the Research Out of 200 returned women: More than 60% (that is 165 individuals) directly spoke about experiencing psychological disorders. 18% (that is 36 individuals) have attempted self-harm or suicide at least once. 93% (that is 186 individuals) said that after returning, they have completely lost their sense of hope for the future. Despite warnings from specialists, so far no governmental or non-governmental institution has launched a comprehensive program of psychotherapy, counseling, or empowerment for this vulnerable group. This report is the voice of women who have been forgotten; women who, although they have crossed the border, live with the border of pain, loneliness, and anxiety. Women who breathe only for survival.

Photo: Mohammad Barno / Avash Media, CC BY 4.0 “This is not life, it is a prison without locks and doors.” Dozens of Afghan women and girls who were recently deported from Iran have been admitted to mental health hospitals after returning to Afghanistan, due to facing the Taliban regime and laws that have pushed women’s lives to the brink of destruction. While these women lived in Iran with hope for a better future, they now breathe in a land where simply “being a woman” is an unwritten crime. Education, study, work, recreation, going to restaurants, or even the right to walk freely in the city are all forbidden for them. Shafiqa, one of the girls who returned to Nimroz after being deported, says with a broken voice: “When I was dragged here from Iran, I did not think I would go straight from the border to a mental hospital, but at night I sleep with sleeping pills and during the day I breathe and stay awake with antidepressants. This is not life, it is a prison without locks and doors.” This is not only Shafiqa’s voice. Nahid, another young girl who was deported from Tehran, tells Zan News about the bitter memory of her return: “When I saw the Taliban, my whole body started shaking. I froze from fear. I felt my soul died at that moment. I no longer have a future, nor control over myself…” Health sources in western Afghanistan confirmed to Zan News that the number of women suffering from severe depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and nervous breakdowns has increased to an unprecedented level. A psychiatrist who did not want to be named told Zan News: “Every day we see young girls who, out of despair and psychological pressure, even think about suicide. They have no outlook, no hope, and no social support.” Meanwhile, human rights organizations have warned that a silent annihilation of the generation of Afghan women is underway. In the heavy silence of the international community, and while the world’s attention is focused on other crises, the Taliban are systematically eliminating women from society. Now, women are not only deprived of normal life, but their mental health is also in serious danger.

Image: © Sushil Kumar Verma / The Hindu A 16-year-old girl was gang-raped by a bus driver and conductor while travelling on a bus in Delhi and surrounding areas. According to Indian media outlet India Today on Monday (31 August), the incident occurred on the night of 4 August on a route between Greater Noida, a city near Delhi, and Kashmere Gate in Delhi. According to the report, the 16-year-old girl, an 11th-grade student and resident of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, was trying to travel to Noida, near Delhi, on a rainy night. The driver and conductor of an empty bus offered to take her to her destination. After the bus began moving, the two men raped the girl and threatened to kill her if she resisted. Delhi Police said the suspects later dropped the girl off near the Kashmere Gate bus terminal and left the area. She then approached police and reported the incident. Police said both suspects have been arrested and an investigation into the case is continuing. Police also seized the bus and sent it for forensic and technical examination. India has witnessed repeated cases of sexual violence against women and girls in recent years. One of the most widely known cases occurred in 2012, when a 23-year-old woman was gang-raped on a moving bus in Delhi and later died from her injuries. The incident triggered widespread protests across India, after which laws on sexual offences were tightened and special courts were established to handle such cases more quickly. However, official figures show that reported cases of rape in India remain high. More than 29,000 rape cases were recorded in the country in 2024.

Symbolic image: AI-generated / Zan TV As soon as I stopped at a red traffic light at one of the busy intersections in Herat city, repeated knocks on the car window caught my attention. I looked over. A child was waving a packet of tissues in one hand while repeatedly knocking on the window with the other, gesturing for me to roll it down. There was something between fear and expectation on the face of the nine-year-old girl. She did not know whether the stop would give her an opportunity to make a sale or whether she would face an angry response from a driver. She later said such moments always come with anxiety because violent behaviour by some drivers on the streets has become a repeated experience for her. I drove a little further and stopped by the roadside, then asked her to come closer. She walked cautiously, as though every movement by the driver could change what she decided to do next. She introduced herself as “Husnah” and said she had returned to Afghanistan with her family from Iran seven months ago. According to her, her father worked in Iran, but after returning, the family faced unemployment and financial pressure. She says: “My father goes to the intersection every day and comes back empty-handed at night... My father says there is no work.” Alongside selling tissues, Husnah speaks about experiences that have shaped her daily life on the streets. During the conversation, she pauses and asks me quietly in a childlike voice: “Uncle... you’re not Taliban, are you?” Once she is reassured that she is not speaking to a Taliban member, she talks about being detained and the treatment she says she has received from Taliban forces. She says: “Because I am a girl and I work, the Taliban do not allow me to work, and they beat me if they see me...” Husnah says the Taliban have detained her several times while she was working on the streets and held her for several days in a place she describes as a prison or a detention centre for children. Still trying to sell her packets of tissues and occasionally bargaining with customers, she describes one of her detentions: “When we came here, there was no work for my father. My mother is also ill. My younger sister and I come out to work. I sell tissues and my sister sells chewing gum.” She continues: “The Taliban have arrested us several times. Once they took me to prison, and for three days no one knew where I was. Eventually my father found out and got me released.” According to Husnah, she was subjected to violence while in detention and the children were not given enough food. She says: “When I cried, they whipped me.” She also describes another detention during Ramadan this year: “I was running away, but a Taliban member forced me into the vehicle. When I cried, he hit me on the head with the barrel of his gun. My head split open and started bleeding.” Husnah says that at the detention facility, food was linked to whether the children were fasting. She says: “They did not give us food in prison either. They only said dry bread would be given to those who fasted. Because I was little, I could not fast, and they told me I had no right to eat. At night, they would not give me food and would say it was because I had drunk water during the day. There was no food in the prison. We could only drink water.” She adds: “At night, the Taliban themselves ate meat and rice. Even the girls and boys who fasted were only given leftover food or dry bread.” As she speaks about these experiences, Husnah’s voice trembles and tears begin to run from the corners of her eyes. She pauses for a few seconds and then talks about her life before returning to Afghanistan. “I went to school in Iran. I studied, but now I have been forced to work.” Her main fear now is being detained again. She says: “Every day I am afraid the Taliban will arrest me again, because they told my father that if I am arrested again, he should not come to get me released and they will not release me.” But fear has not stopped her from returning to the streets. She explains the reason simply: “If there is no food on our table at night, I have to work. My father tells me to go and work.” Husnah’s account is the experience of a child caught between her family’s financial hardship and fear of detention. She says that if she stays at home, she has no income to help her family, but if she comes to the streets to work, she worries every day that she may be detained again. Our conversation ends by the roadside. Husnah picks up her packets of tissues again and walks back towards the intersection, where cars stop one after another at the red light and she approaches the next driver to try to sell a packet. But for her, every red light is not merely a few minutes of opportunity to sell a packet of tissues. It is a moment between hoping to find a customer and fearing who may be sitting in the next car.

Image: Reuters The World Health Organization (WHO) says 198 pneumonia-related deaths were recorded in Afghanistan in July this year. In its latest report, published on Thursday (27 August), the organisation said more than 78,000 pneumonia cases were recorded during the month, an increase of 17.9 per cent compared with June. In June, 65,663 pneumonia cases and 168 related deaths were recorded. According to the report, from the beginning of 2026 to the end of July, a total of 780,561 pneumonia cases and 1,563 deaths related to the disease were recorded in Afghanistan. The World Health Organization added that in July, cases of watery diarrhoea with dehydration increased by 31.6 per cent, while suspected dengue fever cases rose by 85.5 per cent compared with the previous month. The organisation warned that funding shortages are putting the continuation of essential health services at risk, while seasonal increases in diseases, combined with limited resources, are placing greater pressure on efforts to respond to disease outbreaks.

Sent to ZAN TV The Afghanistan Women’s Movement Network has condemned remarks by Aisha Wahab, the Afghan-American congresswoman-elect, on the need to continue diplomacy and maintain relations with Afghanistan “regardless of which group is in power”, saying that moving towards formal relations with the Taliban under current conditions would contribute to the normalisation of the repression of women. Members of the network, through a resolution and a protest action, said that any move towards formal relations with the Taliban, without changes in the situation of women’s rights, would give the group political credibility. The network’s resolution states: “Being of Afghan descent does not give anyone the privilege of representing Afghan women, and holding political office is not a licence to bargain over their suffering.” Members of the Afghanistan Women’s Movement Network said they do not consider Wahab’s position representative of the views of Afghan women and stressed that being of Afghan descent alone does not give anyone the authority to speak on behalf of the country’s women. The network also said that Aisha Wahab has not lived in Afghanistan for years and has not directly experienced what women under Taliban rule have faced, including bans on education and work, restrictions on movement and the suppression of protests. One section of the resolution addressed to Wahab states: “You have the right to hold your own political views, but you have no right to sell them in the name of Afghan women.” The Afghanistan Women’s Movement Network described formal relations with the Taliban under current conditions as the “normalisation of repression” and the granting of political concessions to the group. It said it would not remain silent in the face of efforts that, in the view of its members, could lead to the legitimisation of the Taliban. The reaction followed remarks by Aisha Wahab in an interview with “Democracy Now!” on Monday (24 August). In the interview, Wahab criticised Taliban restrictions on women and girls and said preventing them from accessing education and living normal lives could be “catastrophic” for Afghanistan’s future. At the same time, however, she said the United States should pursue diplomacy and maintain relations with Afghanistan “regardless of which group is in power”. Wahab said such engagement could be used to push Afghanistan’s rulers towards respecting human rights, women’s rights and civil rights. She also spoke about economic cooperation and agreements related to Afghanistan’s resources. The reaction comes as the Taliban have, over the past five years, barred women and girls from secondary and university education and imposed widespread restrictions on work, freedom of movement and participation in public life. Critics of Wahab’s remarks consider her emphasis on continued diplomacy and maintaining relations with Afghanistan under Taliban rule concerning, saying that such an approach, without clear guarantees for women’s rights, could contribute to the normalisation of relations with the Taliban.

Sent to ZAN TV CIVICUS Monitor says in its latest assessment that women protesters in Afghanistan have moved their protests into homes and other enclosed spaces to reduce the risk of identification, but even these small and secret gatherings expose them to surveillance, arbitrary arrest and violence. In a report published on Wednesday (26 August) on the state of civic freedoms in Afghanistan after five years of Taliban rule, the organisation said the space for independent civic activity and peaceful protest in Afghanistan is severely restricted. CIVICUS has rated Afghanistan’s civic space as “closed”, with a score of 8 out of 100. According to the report, women’s protest movements, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, have continued their activities through statements, slogans, protest songs, symbolic actions and online campaigns. Women’s groups have also called for protests and solidarity actions inside and outside Afghanistan. CIVICUS says women inside Afghanistan mainly hold their protests in private homes and other enclosed spaces, keeping these actions limited and secret to reduce the risk of identification. According to the organisation, even these forms of protest have not eliminated the risks of surveillance, arbitrary arrest and violence. The report adds that freedom of peaceful assembly is severely restricted in Afghanistan, while the risk of arbitrary arrest, threats and the use of force has left little space for open protest against Taliban policies. According to CIVICUS, the risks are greater for protests related to women’s rights because restrictions on assembly are combined with Taliban control over women’s movement, clothing and participation in public life. In one section of the report, CIVICUS refers to the 9 June protest in the Jibril area of Herat, which took place after women and girls were arrested because of their clothing. According to the report, Taliban forces used live ammunition while dispersing protesters. One boy was killed, at least four people were injured and at least 17 protesters were arrested. The organisation says that in the days following the protest, Taliban intelligence officers randomly checked people’s mobile phones to find messages or images related to the protest. Those found with such content on their phones were arrested and interrogated. According to the report, the Taliban intensified enforcement of women’s dress regulations in Herat from early June. Citing Human Rights Watch, CIVICUS wrote that by 7 June, at least 30 women had been arrested for allegedly failing to comply with the Taliban’s dress requirements. Further arrests of women were reported in different parts of Herat in early August. CIVICUS also cited a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan stating that between April and June 2026, officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice carried out 389 arbitrary arrests and 65 cases of ill-treatment. During the same period, UNAMA also documented continued restrictions on freedom of expression, media closures, intensified enforcement of vice and virtue regulations, and the exclusion of women and girls from education and public life. The organisation says civil society activists, journalists and Taliban critics also face severe restrictions, arbitrary arrest, threats and violence. According to CIVICUS, the Taliban have expanded restrictions on independent civic activity across government institutions, media organisations, educational centres and public spaces. The CIVICUS report comes after the Taliban recently published the “Police Law”, which was issued in the group’s official gazette by the Ministry of Justice following approval by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Article 50 of the law bans all demonstrations across Afghanistan. However, the CIVICUS report says that despite the risks of surveillance, arrest and violence, women continue to use limited and secret methods to express their opposition.

Social Media Local sources in Herat say Nawidullah Fitrat, a university lecturer in the province, has been arrested by Taliban forces. The reason for his arrest, the exact time of his detention and his whereabouts remain unknown, and Taliban officials have not commented on the matter. According to the sources, before his arrest, Fitrat had publicly criticised prejudice, injustice and the current situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. He had spoken about social problems, justice and people’s living conditions, and called for citizens to be treated fairly. In a video published on social media before his arrest, a man identifying himself as Nawidullah Fitrat criticises the situation in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s conduct. At one point in the video, he says: “This may be my last video.” However, no independent sources have yet confirmed whether the video and his remarks are connected to his recent arrest. It is also unclear which Taliban institution is responsible for his detention. The reported arrest of Nawidullah Fitrat comes as other cases involving the detention of citizens, activists and employees of international organisations have been reported in Herat in recent weeks. Local sources previously reported that Taliban intelligence had arrested Ghulam Nabi Mudassir, a civil society activist and university lecturer. According to reports, he was detained after reposting news about protests by residents of the Jibril area. In another case, Taliban intelligence in Herat detained two United Nations employees. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan confirmed the detentions and called on the Taliban to respect the immunities and privileges of UN staff. There have also been reports of Taliban vice and virtue forces arresting a number of women in Herat. According to the reports, some of the women were stopped and detained while travelling because of the way they were dressed. Some civil society activists say the increase in such arrests has made citizens more cautious about expressing critical views. They stress that peaceful criticism and the expression of opinions should not lead to detention. A number of human rights activists have also called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nawidullah Fitrat and urged international organisations to follow up on his situation.

Image: Reuters / Pajhwok News Agency The Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO) says in a new report that the Taliban use public flogging as a tool to impose their preferred social order and control women’s lives. The report says flogging disproportionately affects women and forms part of a broader pattern of restricting their freedom of movement, clothing, private lives and autonomy. The report, titled “Whips of Power, Spectacle of Control”, was published on Tuesday (25 August) and examines cases of public flogging carried out by the Taliban between 2022 and 2026. The Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization says that as of 21 April 2026, it had documented 633 cases of flogging involving 2,745 people. Of these, 1,761 were men, 422 were women, and the gender of 562 people was unspecified. The organisation says public flogging is now carried out in all provinces of Afghanistan and that the Taliban use the punishment not only for ordinary crimes, but also to control aspects of people’s private and social lives. According to the report, women have been arrested and flogged over accusations including leaving home without a mahram, “running away from home”, relationships outside marriage, and violations of dress and social behaviour rules. The practice has also enabled the Taliban to exert greater control over women’s movement, personal relationships and participation in society. The Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization says the “institutionalisation” of flogging disproportionately affects women and that the punishment forms part of a broader process of dismantling the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. According to the organisation, restrictions on women’s movement, clothing, work and social interactions also target their autonomy and private lives. Women Who Fled Violence Were Punished The report is also based on 23 victim testimonies, 15 of them from women. In one case, a woman who was being abused in a forced marriage left home to escape the violence. The Taliban arrested her and sentenced her to 39 lashes and nine months in prison for leaving home without a mahram and for having a relationship with a person whom the Taliban said had helped her escape. According to testimony recorded in the report, the woman lost consciousness while being flogged, suffered severe wounds and injuries, and received no medical care afterwards. After completing her prison sentence, she was forced into hiding because she feared being killed by her husband. In another case, a woman suffering from domestic violence went to the Taliban’s vice and virtue department to seek help. Instead of addressing her complaint, Taliban officials accused her of causing conflict within the family and flogged her eight times without a formal trial. The report also records the account of a woman with an intellectual disability whose family says she was raped by a Taliban member. Her family approached Taliban authorities to file a complaint, but the woman herself was imprisoned on charges of an “extramarital relationship” and sentenced to 20 lashes and two months in prison. These testimonies show that some women who fled violence, forced marriage or abuse were themselves arrested and punished instead of receiving protection. Increase in Flogging After Vice and Virtue Law The report’s findings show that the number of documented flogging cases increased after the Taliban enacted the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in August 2024. Of the 516 announcements examined in the report, 352, or 68.2 per cent, were issued after the law was enacted. During the same period, 1,391 people were sentenced to flogging, which, according to the figures in this section of the report, represented around 63.4 per cent of the people documented. The report says the vice and virtue law grants officials of the ministry broad powers to monitor people’s behaviour, clothing and access to services. According to the organisation, these powers form part of a wider system for controlling social life. Annual figures also show an increase in the use of the punishment. The number of documented announcements rose from 46 in 2022 and 30 in 2023 to 178 in 2024 and 262 in 2025. In less than the first four months of 2026 alone, up to 21 April, another 117 announcements were recorded. Flogging to Control Private Life According to the report’s findings, a significant proportion of the punishments relate to behaviour that the Taliban describe as “moral crimes”. The charge of “adultery” was recorded in 98 judicial rulings, equivalent to around 19 per cent of the rulings reviewed. “Running away from home” appeared in 65 rulings. The report says it found no clear legal basis for criminalising “running away from home” within the legal frameworks it examined. According to the report, punishing women for “running away from home”, leaving without a mahram or engaging in personal relationships restricts their freedom of movement and private lives. Across the report’s overall figures, accusations related to extramarital relationships and “running away from home” were among the most frequently recorded. The report also says that threats of flogging and carrying it out in public create an atmosphere of fear and can deter women from moving freely, communicating with others and participating in society. “Flogging Constitutes Torture” In its legal analysis, the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization says public flogging violates the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The organisation also says the evidence reviewed may indicate the commission of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including torture, severe deprivation of liberty, persecution and other inhuman acts. The Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization called on the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to examine evidence relating to these cases as part of its ongoing investigation into Afghanistan. The organisation also called on the Taliban to completely end flogging and repeal all laws, decrees and directives that enable such punishments and discrimination against women and girls.