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Photo: © AP / The Independent The Taliban Supreme Court has announced that six people, including two women, have been flogged in the provinces of Samangan and Balkh. In statements released today, Tuesday (31 March) the court said these individuals had been convicted of “running away from home”, “adultery”, and “sodomy”. According to the statements, in Samangan four individuals, including two women, were each sentenced to 39 lashes as a discretionary punishment, and their sentences were carried out in public after being approved by the Taliban Supreme Court. Meanwhile, in Balkh, two individuals convicted of “sodomy” were sentenced to two years of enforced imprisonment and between 30 and 39 lashes, and the sentence was implemented after being approved by Taliban judicial authorities. This comes as, since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the implementation of corporal punishment in public has increased. Human rights organisations have repeatedly described these actions as violations of human dignity, particularly with regard to women. It is worth noting that a day earlier, the Taliban also flogged several people, including a woman, in public in the provinces of Faryab and Daikundi on various charges.

Photo: © ANMAR / AFP / France 24 “The Taliban have resorted to extorting money from the bride price given to the bride’s family or from the mahr of our daughters…” “Before marrying off our daughters, we have to think about paying extortion to the Taliban…” “Many people have been forced to simplify their wedding ceremonies or postpone them.” These statements by residents of remote areas of Farah province show the shocking and disturbing actions of the Taliban. While the Taliban claim to enforce “Islamic justice” and support the people of Afghanistan, particularly women, recent reports from Farah present a completely different and alarming picture of the group’s conduct. Residents of the province say that not only have the Taliban imposed taxes on their bread, but the bride price paid to the families of their daughters has also not been spared from extortion by the group’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Local reports indicate that Taliban collectors of ushr and zakat, in addition to taking taxes from agricultural produce and the meagre incomes of the population, also demand money from families during wedding ceremonies. This is taking place at a time when many families are struggling with severe poverty and a livelihood crisis. Abdul Rahman, a resident of Pir Kunder village, told Zan News, criticising the Taliban’s actions: “Before marrying off our daughters, we have to think about paying extortion to the Taliban. We live under the burden of debt and poverty. When we arrange our daughters’ weddings, instead of helping, the Taliban take money even from the ceremony and the bride price given to the bride’s family. This is oppression, not taxation.” Gul Mohammad, a resident of Sawzaguzi village in Farah province, also told Zan News: “The Taliban take taxes from everything, from land, from work, and now even from our happiness, from my daughter’s mahr. These actions have made people tired and hopeless.” Mohammad Younus, a resident of Deh Sheikh village in the province, told Zan News: “From now on, we are forced to borrow money to pay the tax on the bride price before marrying off our daughters and give it to the Taliban. Many families have been forced to simplify their wedding ceremonies or postpone them because they cannot afford these additional costs. A person may not take any mahr, but the Taliban come and say you held a ceremony, pay the tax on the bride price.” The Taliban have not yet officially responded to these reports, but they have previously stated that the collection of ushr and zakat is carried out in accordance with Islamic law. However, critics say that the expansion of taxation to traditional ceremonies such as bride price payments is a sign of increasing pressure on people’s private lives.

Social Media The Taliban’s police command in Nangarhar has said that following the collapse of a house roof in Ghani Khil district, one woman was killed and two children were injured. According to Sayed Tayeb Hamad, spokesperson for the command, the incident occurred on Sunday evening (29 March) in the “Vial 25” area of Ghani Khil district. He added that the incident was caused by rainfall, and that in Nazian district the roof of another house also collapsed, leaving two people injured. It is worth noting that according to figures from the Taliban’s disaster management authority, following recent rainfall across the country, at least 17 people have been killed and 26 others injured.

Photo: © AFP / France 24 Although communities take on a festive atmosphere during Eid, for some working women in Afghanistan these days bring no sign of shopping or planning for celebration. Some women who work in schools, hospitals, and government offices on low salaries say Eid has become a difficult equation for them: bread, electricity and house rent, or Eid fruit and clothing? Maryam, a cleaner at one of the government schools in Kabul, supports her family of five on a monthly salary of 4,000 Afghanis. She says her salary runs out before the middle of the month: “If we pay the house rent and electricity, nothing remains for food. Now you tell me, in such a situation, how can I celebrate Eid?” In one of Kabul’s public hospitals, Shakila works as a cleaner. She says her salary is 5,000 Afghanis, but according to her, this amount does not even cover basic living needs. “All I think about is having dry bread at home. My children talk about Eid fruit and new clothes, but I have no answer to give them.” In Herat, Nahid, who works as a cleaner at a girls’ school, faces a similar situation. She says rising living costs have placed additional pressure on her family. “The house rent is high, and electricity also has its monthly cost. When I add all of this up, I see that no money is left for extra things like Eid.” In Ghor, Fatima, who works at a health centre, says that despite working full time, she still faces difficulties in meeting her family’s basic needs. “We work and make an effort, but when the end of the month comes, nothing is left in our hands. Eid is happiness for others, but for us it remains just an ordinary day.” In Nimroz, Zahra, who works as a cleaner at a school, says her salary of 3,000 Afghanis is not even enough to provide dry bread for her family. “Sometimes I am forced to borrow money just to feed my children. When Eid comes, my children have expectations, but I have nothing to make them happy.” These women, unlike many of those in need, are employed, but low salaries and rising living costs have placed them in a situation not very different from the unemployed.

Photo: AREF KARIMI / AFP In Afghanistan, the three days of Eid are usually marked by joy, visits, and hope, but for many female heads of households in the country, this occasion is marked by sorrow, concern, and a struggle for survival. Some of these women, who bear the responsibility of providing for their families, say they are not only unable to buy new clothes and Eid fruit for their children, but also face serious difficulties in meeting even the most basic needs, including bread for the night. Safora, a middle-aged woman in Kabul, is one of these cases. She, who is responsible for four orphaned children, sits by the roadside every day and tries to earn a piece of bread for her children through begging. Speaking to Zan News in a voice filled with sorrow, she says: “Even feeding my children is difficult, let alone buying Eid fruit or new clothes. Just look at my home, you will understand what I go through. Even with dry bread, we cannot fill my children’s stomachs.” Soraya, a resident of Mazar-e-Sharif and a mother of six children, is in a similar situation. She earns a living by cleaning other people’s homes, but the lack of stable work has left her income irregular and insufficient. “This year Eid is arriving while I have no money at home. I do not know how I will manage the household expenses. My children are left in uncertainty. What Eid?” The situation is not much different in the western provinces. Bibi Gul, a 45-year-old woman in Badghis, says that due to economic hardship she has not even been able to buy a pair of sandals or simple clothing for her child. She emphasises that her main priority is only to find daily food for her children. In Herat, Zarghona shares another bitter account. She says that due to her husband’s illness, she has been forced to turn to begging to cover living expenses. “My husband is ill, we live in a rented house, during the day I come out, if someone extends a hand towards me, I buy a few pieces of dry bread and take them home. Many times I have returned home empty-handed. Eid is difficult for us, because we have nothing.” These women say that Eid is no different from other days for them, as, according to them, it is just another day spent in hardship and uncertainty. These accounts show that for many female heads of households in Afghanistan, Eid is not a symbol of joy, but a reminder of the hardships of life and deep economic inequalities.

Social Media The Pakistani army carried out airstrikes on parts of Kabul and Nangarhar last night. According to the Taliban, a drug treatment centre in Kabul was also targeted in the attacks, and a number of civilians, including patients at the facility, were killed and injured. The strikes took place on Monday evening, 16 March. The Taliban, confirming the attacks, said that the Pakistani army bombed the “2000 Bed Omid Hospital”. According to the group, more than 200 people were killed and around 400 others were injured in the incident. In contrast, Pakistani officials have denied targeting civilian infrastructure and claim that “military facilities and infrastructure supporting terrorism” were struck. Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Minister of Information, said the country targeted ammunition depots in Kabul and four military sites “supporting the TTP” in Nangarhar province. The attacks have drawn widespread reactions. Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan, condemned the targeting of residential areas and medical centres, stating that it caused civilian casualties. Richard Bennett, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur, also expressed concern over civilian casualties and stressed the need to respect international law and protect medical facilities. Human Rights Watch also stated that the casualties resulting from these attacks are concerning and that civilian infrastructure must not be targeted. In addition, some former officials and activists have described the attacks as a “war crime” and called for those responsible to be held accountable. The strikes come as military tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have intensified since late February. Pakistan says the attacks target terrorist bases such as the TTP, while the Taliban consider them a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and an attack on civilians. Meanwhile, concerns over rising civilian casualties continue.

Social Media The death of Shirin Hazara, an Afghan protester and civil society activist, has triggered widespread reactions among women protesters, women’s rights activists, and civil society organisations. Members of Shirin Hazara’s family confirmed the news on Sunday (8 February) saying that she died in Australia as a result of a stroke. Shirin Hazara was among the first women to take part in street protests against the restrictions and policies imposed by the Taliban on women after the group returned to power in Afghanistan. According to available information, Shirin Hazara had sought refuge in Australia about four months ago. Following the announcement of her death, a number of women protesters and civil and cultural activists expressed their condolences through messages on social media. In these messages, Shirin Hazara was described as “a symbol of the resistance of Afghan women”. The Azadegan Movement in Exile also issued a statement offering condolences over the death of Shirin Hazara and described her as “a courageous woman and one of the pioneers of civil protests against the Taliban”. The movement emphasised in its statement that it would continue to pursue women’s demands and protest the restrictions imposed on women. The death of Shirin Hazara has once again drawn attention to the situation of Afghan women protesters, women who, after participating in street protests, have faced sustained pressure, insecurity, forced migration, and the psychological and physical consequences of life in exile.

© Farzana Wahidy / Human Rights Watch In its latest quarterly report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, UNAMA has said that the Taliban detained and imprisoned a girl under the age of 18 for refusing to submit to a forced marriage. The report, published on Sunday (February 8) and covering the period from October to December 2025, states that the teenage girl is being held in one of the Taliban’s provincial prisons. UNAMA did not provide further details about the time of her arrest or the province where she is being detained. In another part of the report, UNAMA stressed that during this period, multiple cases of gender-based violence, particularly forced marriages, were recorded. According to the findings of the organisation, Taliban morality police in the province of Herat required women to wear prayer chadors in May and September 2025. The report says that women who defied the order were briefly detained. The report further states that in early November 2025, women in the city of Herat were also forced to wear the burqa in public places, and women without a burqa were denied access to hospitals, health centres, government offices, and wedding halls. UNAMA also reported that on 3 October 2025, the Taliban, by imposing restrictions on women’s freedom of movement in Herat, prevented women from entering a women-only Friday market on the 64 Metre Road in the city by firing shots into the air and dispersing the crowd. The report says that on 6 October 2025, Taliban morality police in Zabul province stopped a group of women who had left their homes for morning exercise and warned them not to leave their homes for this purpose again. UNAMA also said that on 8 December 2025 in Tarinkot, the capital of Uruzgan province, taxi and coaster drivers were publicly instructed not to allow women without a male guardian to board their vehicles. The report further states that on 27 December 2025, Taliban morality police in Kandahar city instructed shopkeepers not to sell goods to women who were without a male guardian. UNAMA added that Taliban morality police in Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces regularly visit health facilities to prevent female patients and female health workers without a male guardian from entering. According to the organisation, this practice has deprived women of access to health services and prevented female health workers from attending their workplaces.

Photo: AFP The Taliban in Balkh province have flogged a woman on charges of “having an illicit relationship”. The Taliban Supreme Court said on Thursday (5 February) that based on the ruling of the group’s primary court in Zari district of Balkh province, a woman was sentenced to and punished with 35 lashes. The court said in a statement that the sentence was carried out after being approved by senior officials of the Taliban Supreme Court. The statement said the punishment was carried out in the presence of the police commander, the head of intelligence, the deputy district governor, and a number of local residents. Since returning to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have widely implemented corporal punishments, including public flogging. International human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned these punishments, but the Taliban continue to enforce them based on their own interpretation of Sharia.

Social Media The Taliban in Farah province say that following the collapse of a house wall in Farah Rod district, two members of one family were killed and three others were injured. Mohammad Sadeq Jihadmal, the Taliban district governor of Farah Rod, said the incident occurred on Thursday (5 February) in the Gorzang area of the district. According to him, the incident was caused by recent rainfall. Jihadmal added that the victims were the father of the family and his daughter, while the mother and two other children were among those injured. According to local Taliban officials, the injured were transferred to the Farah Rod district health centre. It is worth noting that incidents caused by the collapse of house roofs during the rainy seasons in Afghanistan’s provinces have repeatedly claimed the lives of family members.