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Zan News: The Canada-UK Media Freedom Award was presented to Lutfullah Najfizadah, the CEO of Amu TV, on behalf of independent Afghan media. Canada-UK Media Freedom Award Presented to Independent Afghan Media September 28, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Canada-UK Media Freedom Award was presented to Lutfullah Najfizadah, the CEO of Amu TV, on behalf of independent Afghan media. In a ceremony held on Friday (September 27) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the award was presented to Najfizadah by Melanie Joly, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lord Collins of Highbury, Deputy Speaker of the British House of Lords. High-ranking officials and intellectuals from other countries, including Jan Lipavský, Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Arnoldo André, Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Maria Ressa, Nobel Prize laureate, and Jodie Ginsberg, Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, were present at the ceremony. It is worth noting that this award has been given since 2020 to those who defend freedom of expression and democracy. Last year, the Egyptian online newspaper "Mada Masr" received the award, but this is the first time the Canada-UK Media Freedom Award has been given to independent Afghan media. This comes as the Taliban have severely suppressed media and journalists in Afghanistan over the past three years. Recently, Reporters Without Borders announced that the Taliban had arrested and tortured 141 journalists in the country over the past three years. According to the information, during this period, Taliban courts have imprisoned 47 journalists.

Zan News: The Badakhshan Maternity Hospital has suspended operations due to the withdrawal of funding from the World Health Organization (WHO). Badakhshan Maternity Hospital Halts Operations Due to WHO Funding Cut July 9, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Badakhshan Maternity Hospital has suspended operations due to the withdrawal of funding from the World Health Organization (WHO). Medical sources in Badakhshan say that the hospital's operations have been suspended since the beginning of this month. According to sources, the Badakhshan Maternity Hospital, which was funded by the WHO, was forced to suspend its activities from July 1st due to the withdrawal of support from the organization. The suspension of the hospital's operations has led to the unemployment of 73 of its doctors and staff. The hospital, which had 60 beds, provided services to many female patients in Badakhshan. Sources at the hospital have warned that with the suspension of its operations, many female patients will face widespread problems. The World Health Organization has not yet commented on the withdrawal of its funding for the hospital. This comes as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has previously expressed concern about the reduction in the humanitarian budget for Afghanistan and its impact on various sectors, including health. On the first of this month, the agency announced that it had only received $696 million in funding, which represents 22.8% of its initial request.

Zan News - Pakistan: The Powerful Women of Afghanistan Movement and the Freedmen's Movement in Exile, in a protest gathering in Islamabad, Pakistan, announced their sanction of the third Doha meeting and rejected engagement with the Taliban. Afghanistan Women Protesters: We Sanction the Doha Meeting, Engagement with the Taliban is Rejected June 30, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Pakistan: The Powerful Women of Afghanistan Movement and the Freedmen's Movement in Exile, in a protest gathering in Islamabad, Pakistan, announced their sanction of the third Doha meeting and rejected engagement with the Taliban. In the statement of this protest gathering, published on Saturday (June 29), it was stated: "It is clear to everyone that during the three years of Taliban terrorist rule in Afghanistan, forty million innocent and defenseless people of this country, including men, women, and children, have been deprived of their human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, political participation, work, education, and other rights that a human being as a living creature should have." The statement adds: "Regrettably, the United Nations, by ignoring the oppression and terror imposed by this savage and terrorist group on the people of Afghanistan, has chosen the path of engagement and negotiation with this group. The Taliban are participating in the third Doha meeting thanks to the UN's concessions. The United Nations moves in alignment with the Taliban and supports continued engagement with them." The statement from these movements says: "Just as the Taliban have excluded women from all areas of political and social life in Afghanistan due to their gender, the United Nations has also excluded women from participating in the third Doha meeting. This gender apartheid imposed on Afghan women by the Taliban, with the complicity of the United Nations, silences the voices of Afghan women." The statement continues: "Therefore, we protesting women believe that the United Nations has forgotten its primary mission and, through political dealings, is whitewashing the terrorist Taliban and overlooking their violations of human and women's rights." The Powerful Women of Afghanistan Movement and the Freedmen's Movement in Exile emphasized in this statement that they sanction the third Doha meeting without the presence of representatives of the people and women of Afghanistan and condemn the third Doha conference, which, according to them, seeks to whitewash the "blackened faces of history." These women's rights activists in the statement strongly condemned the whitewashing and lobbying for the Taliban. These two movements know reject any engagement, invitation, and hosting of the "enemies of the Afghan people" (the Taliban) in the Doha meeting. This statement is published as the third meeting of special representatives of world countries on Afghan affairs is scheduled to be held today (June 30) in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Zan News: At the end of the third Doha meeting, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peace, emphasized that human rights, especially the rights of women and religious minorities in Afghanistan, will remain a consistent topic in future meetings. UN Deputy Secretary-General: Human Rights and Women's Rights in Afghanistan Will Remain Consistent in Future Meetings July 3, 2024 Zan News Zan News: At the end of the third Doha meeting, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peace, emphasized that human rights, especially the rights of women and religious minorities in Afghanistan, will remain a consistent topic in future meetings. In a press conference on Tuesday (July 2) in Doha after meeting with several members of Afghanistan's civil society, Ms. DiCarlo said that the UN is at the beginning of a process to resolve Afghanistan's issues, a process that requires "patience and time." She said, "We are still at the beginning of this process. We will need a lot of patience and must be realistic. This is a process based on an independent assessment that the UN Security Council decided on last November. This assessment is for a more coordinated and structured process with clear conditions and expectations from both sides." The Deputy Secretary-General mentioned that eight representatives from Afghanistan's civil society participated in this meeting, both in person and virtually. According to Ms. DiCarlo, civil society members provided valuable information about women's rights, minority rights, girls' education, media, business, and other issues in the country. They shared their perspectives and views on the Doha process. Ms. DiCarlo described her meetings and sessions with several men and women representing Afghanistan's civil society as "important and useful." She noted that achieving the set goals requires building trust among all parties. Ms. DiCarlo added, "We had civil society institutions in a meeting here. This morning we heard diverse perspectives. These perspectives must continue to be part of this process, and as I said this morning in the session and as I said in negotiations with [the interim Taliban government] officials, there really needs to be trust-building from both sides." The Deputy Secretary-General said that the Taliban and Afghan citizens are not yet ready to sit together at the same table. She said, "Ultimately, an 'intra-Afghan dialogue' is needed. What we are doing is not an 'intra-Afghan dialogue'; we are just bringing up issues and trying to gather different viewpoints." In her view, the dialogues must be based on honesty and the principles of the UN Charter and various human rights treaties, of which Afghanistan is a part. It is worth mentioning that the third meeting of special representatives for Afghanistan, hosted by the United Nations, was held on Sunday and Monday in Doha, without the presence of Afghan women and civil society members and with the participation of the Taliban and representatives from 25 countries and five international organizations. However, this meeting faced widespread criticism from various countries, protesting women, civil activists, and human rights advocates in Afghanistan. Many women's protest movements and civil institutions in Afghanistan called for a boycott of this meeting due to the presence of the Taliban and the exclusion of women and civil society members.

Zan News: The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that eight individuals, including a woman, were publicly punished in Kunar province for charges of theft, running away from home, and "sodomy." Social Media Eight People, Including One Woman, Punished by the Taliban in Kunar October 14, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that eight individuals, including a woman, were publicly punished in Kunar province for charges of theft, running away from home, and "sodomy." According to the court's statement released on Sunday, October 13, one of the individuals was sentenced to three years in prison and 20 lashes. The statement further detailed that two others were sentenced to 39 lashes each and two years in prison, while another person received a sentence of one year in prison and 20 lashes. Additionally, the court reported that two individuals were sentenced to seven months in prison and 20 lashes each, while two more were sentenced to 15 days in prison. It is worth noting that, according to reports, the Taliban have subjected approximately 30 people to corporal punishment in various provinces over the past month.

Zan News: The Taliban Supreme Court has announced that 13 individuals, including five women, have been flogged in public in the provinces of Jawzjan and Khost. Social Media Taliban Flog 13 People, Including 5 Women, in Public in Jawzjan and Khost April 13, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban Supreme Court has announced that 13 individuals, including five women, have been flogged in public in the provinces of Jawzjan and Khost. According to a statement issued by the court on Saturday, April 12, two women in Darzab district of Jawzjan province were each sentenced to 39 lashes in public and three years of imprisonment on charges of “extramarital relations and fleeing from home.” Meanwhile, the Taliban Supreme Court stated that in Khost province, one woman and two men were flogged in public for extramarital relations, and two women and six other men were flogged on charges including extramarital relations, insulting religious sanctities, bribery, and “false reporting.” Based on the statement, each of these individuals received between 35 to 39 lashes and were also sentenced to two to five years of imprisonment. This comes as the Taliban have recently intensified the implementation of punishments such as executions and floggings in public. On Friday, the group also executed four individuals in the provinces of Nimroz, Farah, and Badghis.

Zan News - Kapisa: A traffic accident in the Alasay district of Kapisa has resulted in the death of four people, including a woman, and injured six others. Traffic Accident in Kapisa Claims Four Lives, Including a Woman July 6, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Kapisa: A traffic accident in the Alasay district of Kapisa has resulted in the death of four people, including a woman, and injured six others. The Taliban police command in Kapisa reported that the incident occurred on Friday afternoon (July 5) in the "Chapi Khil" area. According to the command, a LiteAce-type vehicle veered off the road and overturned. The exact cause of the accident is still unknown. The Taliban in Kapisa have stated that some of the injured are in critical condition and have been transferred to Kabul for treatment. It is worth noting that traffic accidents on Afghanistan's roads have increased in recent days. These accidents annually claim the lives of dozens of people and leave many others injured and disabled. The main causes of traffic accidents in the country are considered to be the lack of standard roads, driver carelessness, and non-compliance with driving rules.

Zan News: The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) has announced in a statement that, due to the closure of its offices in Afghanistan, it will no longer operate in the country. Google Images Swedish Committee Halts Its Activities in Afghanistan January 22, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) has announced in a statement that, due to the closure of its offices in Afghanistan, it will no longer operate in the country. On Tuesday (January 21), the committee stated that it will continue its activities outside of Afghanistan under the name "Committee of Solidarity for Afghanistan." This comes after the Taliban halted the Swedish Committee’s operations in Afghanistan in April of 2024 year, following the burning of the Quran in Sweden. At that time, the committee had said that with the cessation of its activities after more than four decades in Afghanistan, around 7,000 employees of the organization in 16 provinces of the country would lose their jobs. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan would be deprived of its health, educational, and development services. The Swedish Committee emphasized that it has no connection with the Swedish government, and that the Taliban had misunderstood the situation.

Zan News: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says that one year after the earthquakes in Herat, 96,000 affected children in the province are still at risk and require more support. Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi / AP UNICEF: 96,000 Earthquake-Affected Children in Herat Remain at Risk October 8, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says that one year after the earthquakes in Herat, 96,000 affected children in the province are still at risk and require more support. On October 6, of last year, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Zinda Jan district and other parts of Herat, followed by aftershocks. According to the UN, around 1,500 people were killed and over 2,600 injured in these earthquakes. Most of the victims were children and women. UNICEF has emphasized in its report that the situation of earthquake victims in western Afghanistan remains dire and has stressed the need for more support for affected children and families. The agency said that over the past year, it has prioritized the restoration of damaged water supply systems, the reconstruction of classrooms, and the provision of uninterrupted health and nutrition services for children and women. According to UNICEF, more than one million people, including 400,000 children under the age of five, have accessed health care through the agency's supported teams, facilities, and equipment. UNICEF has also restored access to safe drinking water for 21,600 people and installed sanitation facilities for 25,000 people. UNICEF has warned that children in areas like Herat, which have faced drought and earthquakes, cannot grow properly without access to essential services and clean water. The agency added in its report: "Children cannot thrive without reliable essential services, especially climate-resilient water systems. In areas like Herat, which have been severely affected by drought and are still recovering from earthquakes, we must ensure that communities have access to safe drinking water."

Zan News: Mohammad Sadiq Inqilabi, the Taliban’s deputy governor in Kandahar, requested on Saturday (November 2) that media executives and journalists shape their reports to favor the Taliban. Social Media Taliban in Kandahar to Journalists: Report in Our Favor November 3, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Mohammad Sadiq Inqilabi, the Taliban’s deputy governor in Kandahar, requested on Saturday (November 2) that media executives and journalists shape their reports to favor the Taliban. The Taliban's media center in Kandahar stated that Inqilabi likened journalists to Afghanistan's “defensive force” against what he described as a global “propaganda war” against the Taliban. This request follows earlier meetings in several provinces where the Taliban's Information and Culture offices held joint discussions with media officials and journalist support organizations, asking local media to align their broadcasts with the Taliban’s interests. The recent UN report covering the period from July to September highlights two new restrictions imposed by the Taliban on the media. These restrictions include banning scholars from participating in public discussions and halting live political programs.