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Photo: Wakil KOHSAR / AFP Local sources in Khost province report that the Taliban have forced a number of students from grades one to six to take part in a protest against the United States and Israel. According to the sources, on Saturday (May 31), the Taliban’s Department of Education in the province gathered children from schools and kept them under the sun for several hours. The group compelled the students to chant slogans in support of Palestine and against the US and Israel. Families of some of the children accused the Taliban of "exploiting" students and expressed dissatisfaction with the move. This comes while the Taliban have not allowed any protests by their opponents over the past three years, yet on the previous day, they organized large gatherings in several provinces in support of Palestine. It is worth noting that the use of children in political programs is considered a violation of educational principles and international commitments regarding child rights.

Social Media The Taliban’s police command in Nangarhar says that a young man in Jalalabad city committed suicide after killing his father and mother. According to the statement, the incident took place on Friday night (May 30) in the Hada-e-Kabul area, which falls under the fifth security district of Jalalabad city. Sayed Tayeb Hamad, spokesperson for the Taliban’s police command in Nangarhar, stated that a man named Ziaullah killed his parents with a knife following a verbal altercation, and then took his own life. According to Hamad, Ziaullah was suffering from a mental illness.

Photo: UNAMAnews/X The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced that its Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs, Georgette Gagnon, visited Bamyan province and met with Taliban officials, women, local elders, and business owners. According to UNAMA’s statement, on Thursday (May 29), Ms. Gagnon visited an educational center and a health facility dedicated to women and children struggling with addiction in Bamyan. Several residents of Bamyan expressed their concerns during meetings with the UN delegation, highlighting the sharp decline in international aid, growing challenges in the political, social, and economic sectors, and increasing poverty. Meanwhile, a group of female journalists from Radio Bamyan also met with Ms. Gagnon and provided information about the station’s awareness-raising programs for women and girls, particularly in the areas of health and education. They emphasized the need for support for local media outlets. According to the UNAMA press release, Ms. Gagnon reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to the people of Afghanistan and stressed the importance of education for girls and women. She also discussed ongoing efforts to international engagement. While a portion of international aid has been reduced in recent months, UN officials have previously warned that the withdrawal of financial support by some donor countries, including the United States, has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Photo: IRC The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that Afghanistan, with over 23 million people in need, including 12 million children, is experiencing the second largest humanitarian crisis in the world. According to the organization’s latest report, the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women and girls have significantly increased humanitarian needs across the country. UNICEF emphasized that the ban on girls’ education, especially at the secondary level, has seriously affected their learning opportunities. At present, no secondary schools for girls are open in Afghanistan. The report also states that the effects of climate change, natural disasters, poverty, and lack of adequate access to healthcare, nutrition, and clean drinking water have placed the lives of millions at risk. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that the Taliban’s restrictions on women not only violate human rights but also hinder the delivery of aid to those in need. Although the international community has called for the removal of these restrictions, the Taliban have so far ignored these demands and continue to insist on implementing policies they claim are based on "Sharia."

Social Media The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that five individuals, including one woman, were publicly flogged in the provinces of Kunduz and Kabul. These individuals were punished on charges of "extramarital relations" and "selling alcohol and narcotic substances." According to a statement issued by the court on Thursday (May 29), the Taliban’s Primary Court in Qala-e-Zal district of Kunduz province sentenced a woman and a man to flogging and three years of imprisonment for having an extramarital relationship. In another case, the court reported the execution of flogging sentences for three other men in Kabul, who were convicted of selling narcotics and alcoholic beverages. They were sentenced to one to two years in prison along with flogging. The Taliban did not provide any details regarding the identities of the individuals or the legal proceedings in its statement. Since the return of the Taliban to power, punishments such as public flogging under the pretext of "implementing Sharia rulings" have been widely carried out, drawing strong reactions from human rights organizations and the United Nations. International bodies consider these actions to be in violation of fair trial principles and a breach of human rights.

Photo: WFP/Rana Deraz The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that more than four million women and children in Afghanistan are affected by malnutrition. In a video shared on the social media platform X, the organization stated that some of these individuals are currently receiving treatment at clinics supported by WFP. It is worth mentioning that the organization had previously warned that the number of children suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan could reach 3.5 million by the year 2025. According to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the rate of malnutrition in Afghanistan has increased compared to four years ago. OCHA and WFP have identified widespread poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity as the main causes of this situation.

Photo: wikipedia Local sources in Khost province have reported that five people, including two women, were killed following a clash between two families in the Tani district of this province. The incident occurred on Wednesday (May 28), and according to the sources, four members of one family, including the father, mother, daughter, and son, lost their lives in this conflict. One person from the opposing family was also killed. Sources have confirmed that a newlywed woman was also injured during the incident, and the main cause of the clash has been described as a dispute over issues related to children. Meanwhile, the Taliban police command in Khost has also confirmed the incident but has not provided further details. It is worth mentioning that similar cases of violence, especially over land and family disputes, have previously been reported in several provinces of the country.

Photo: zakia_khudadadi/instagram Zakia Khudadadi, a female Afghan para-taekwondo athlete, has won a bronze medal at the " Rio Open G2 " competition in Brazil. In a message posted on her Instagram page on Thursday (May 29), Khudadadi wrote, " This medal is not just for me, it is for all the women of Afghanistan who are still standing despite all the hardships. " She added, " We may face obstacles, but we never give up. We rise, always! " It is worth noting that this Afghan athlete, who fled the country after the Taliban's return to power and now lives in France, participated in the Paris 2024 Paralympics as part of the Refugee Team and secured the bronze medal. This comes at a time when the Taliban, since regaining power, have banned women from participating in sports. As a result, many Afghan female athletes have either halted their activities or been forced to leave the country.

Photo: UNAMA/Fardin Waezi A group of exiled Afghan journalists living in Turkey has sent an open letter to Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, calling for urgent support and relocation to safe countries. This letter, backed by the Free Speech Centre in Canada and signed by 50 journalists, warns of the dangers of forced deportation, legal uncertainty, and growing psychological pressure. According to the letter, ten journalists have already lost their residency status, twenty others have received deportation orders, and many more have been left in limbo for years in Turkey despite being recognized by UNHCR. The journalists emphasize that since the Taliban took control of the Afghan embassy in Turkey, the risk of identification and physical threats against them has increased. They add that the label of "Turkey being safe" by Western countries has blocked proper attention to their situation. In this letter, the Afghan journalists urge the UNHCR to prevent their forced deportation from Turkey. They also call on the agency to facilitate their resettlement to third countries and provide them with special humanitarian support. The letter stresses the need to guarantee access to legal and medical services. In conclusion, the journalists warn that ignoring their fate would mean silencing the voice of truth and allowing tyranny to prevail.

Exclusive to Zan TV Toronto - Canada: On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the annual conference of the Free Speech Centre was held in Toronto, Canada, with the wide participation of journalists, university professors, and media activists from various countries, including Afghanistan. The event, focusing on the challenges and opportunities of journalism in both democratic and repressive societies—especially the concerning state of freedom of expression in Afghanistan under Taliban rule—was structured around two discussion panels. Exclusive to Zan TV The first panel, titled "Truth in the Age of Repression," was led by Lotfullah Najafizada, the head of Amu Television. Jennifer Holt (The Walrus), Michelle Shephard (CJFE), Brent Jolly (CAJ), and Lucan (Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto) participated in this session. The speakers discussed the differences between the media environment in democratic countries and repressive regimes, emphasizing the importance of supportive structures in free nations and the lack of such facilities in countries like Afghanistan. Exclusive to Zan TV The second panel of the conference, titled "From Headlines to Silence: The Struggle for Journalism in Afghanistan," focused on the difficult situation of Afghan journalists. This session was moderated by Samia Medwar from The Walrus and included Farida Nikzad (Carleton University), Shoaib Rahim (University Professor), and Zahra Nader (Founder of Zan Times). The speakers addressed the Taliban's repressive conditions, widespread restrictions on the media, and the resistance of female journalists against censorship and threats. Bob Rae, Canada's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated in his speech: "Media in many countries are systematically targeted, and the international community must unite to defend freedom of expression." Najib Asil, head of the Free Speech Centre, referred to 2024 as one of the deadliest years for journalists, saying: "At least 124 journalists lost their lives in 18 countries, which is unprecedented in the past five decades." During the conference, Rachel Pulfer, President of Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), was honored for supporting and facilitating the transfer of more than 2,400 Afghan journalists and human rights activists to Canada since 2021. Rababa Mohammadi, an Afghan artist, was also recognized for her resilience and artistic activism in defending women's rights in Afghanistan despite her physical disability. Exclusive to Zan TV Conference speakers, including Najib Asil, called for increased support from the Canadian government and international media organizations for Afghan journalists at risk, especially those in Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey. He stressed the need for cooperation in job placement, resettlement, and protection for Afghan journalists. At the end of the conference, a number of journalists and officials from international organizations supporting freedom of expression shared their views through video messages on the global media situation, particularly the repressive conditions in Afghanistan.