Zan News - Badakhshan: Two young girls have died as a result of drowning in the Kokcha River in the center of Badakhshan province. Social Media Two Young Girls Drown in the Kokcha River in Badakhshan August 12, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Badakhshan: Two young girls have died as a result of drowning in the Kokcha River in the center of Badakhshan province. Mohammad Kamgar, the Head of Natural Disaster Management for the Taliban in Badakhshan, stated that the incident occurred on the afternoon of Sunday (August 11) in the "Shurabak" area of the seventh district of Faizabad city. According to Kamgar, these girls were walking by the river and after entering the water area, they fell into the water and drowned due to slipping on the river bed. The girls, named Naqiba and Suraya, were 18 and 21 years old, respectively. Their bodies were retrieved by local residents one hour after the incident. It should be mentioned that incidents of drowning in water have increased in Badakhshan in recent months.

Zan News: Fawzia Koofi, a former member of the Afghan Parliament, has criticized the exclusion of women, civil society organizations, and democratic forces from the upcoming third Doha meeting, calling it another failure for the United Nations, which currently sees itself as the only player in Afghanistan. Fawzia Koofi: Excluding Women from Doha Meeting is Another Failure for the UN June 23, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Fawzia Koofi, a former member of the Afghan Parliament, has criticized the exclusion of women, civil society organizations, and democratic forces from the upcoming third Doha meeting, calling it another failure for the United Nations, which currently sees itself as the only player in Afghanistan. In a message on her X page, Koofi stated that the design of the Doha meeting is based on the wishes of the Taliban and contradicts UN Security Council Resolution 2721. She emphasized that the exclusion of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from the first Doha process led to a deep failure, resulting in the collapse of all institutions built with the collective blood and resources of the Afghan people and international partners. Koofi, who was a member of the former Afghan government's negotiating team with the Taliban, warned that the third Doha meeting will also have adverse consequences. Human rights and women's rights activists have also expressed that the UN has excluded women and democratic forces opposing the Taliban from the third Doha meeting. It is noteworthy that the Taliban had set conditions for participating in the third Doha meeting, including setting the agenda according to their preferences, granting to Taliban the Afghanistan's seat in the United Nations, and not inviting members of civil society. The Taliban have also asked the UN to refrain from appointing a new special representative for Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the third Doha meeting, hosted by the United Nations and attended by special representatives for Afghanistan and Taliban representatives, is scheduled to take place on June 30 and July 1.

Zan News – Faryab: Local sources in Faryab have reported that an 11-year-old girl named Fatima hanged herself and ended her life in the city of Maimana, the provincial capital. Suicide of a Young Girl in Faryab September 8, 2024 Zan News Zan News – Faryab: Local sources in Faryab have reported that an 11-year-old girl named Fatima hanged herself and ended her life in the city of Maimana, the provincial capital. According to sources, the incident occurred on Saturday (September 7) in the "Kohi Khana" area of the first district of Maimana city. Sources say the girl's body has been transferred to the hospital for further investigation. The exact motive behind this suicide has not yet been determined. It is worth noting that suicide cases among girls have increased since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, especially in various provinces, including Faryab. Despair about the future, mental health issues, and domestic violence are cited as the main reasons for the rise in suicides among Afghan girls.

Zan News: The Taliban in Khost province have demanded a halt to radio educational programs that are broadcast for girls above the sixth grade. Taliban in Khost Demand Halt to Radio Educational Programs for Girls August 31, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban in Khost province have demanded a halt to radio educational programs that are broadcast for girls above the sixth grade. Local sources in Khost province reported on Friday (August 30) that the deputy head of the Taliban's education department in the province has warned radio officials to stop broadcasting educational programs for girls above the sixth grade. Khairullah Mangal, the deputy head of the Taliban's education department in Khost, said that these educational programs may lead to conversations between girls and boys, which contradicts the Taliban's new law on the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice. According to sources, Radio Maktab, which broadcasts educational programs for girls in Khost, Paktika, and Paktia provinces, has received this warning. This radio station had been broadcasting educational programs for thousands of girls in these areas after the Taliban banned girls' education. It is worth noting that about five days ago, the Khost police command also asked radio officials to stop any telephone contact with women. According to the Taliban's law on the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, the voice, face, body, and appearance of women in public places is considered "awrah" (a private part that must be concealed) and is a crime.

Zan News: Richard Bennett, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Reporter on Afghanistan, said on the second day of the Council’s session held yesterday that the people of Afghanistan deserve support and should not be forgotten by the world. Photo: flickr Richard Bennett: The People of Afghanistan Deserve Support and Should Not Be Forgotten March 1, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Richard Bennett, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Reporter on Afghanistan, said on the second day of the Council’s session held yesterday that the people of Afghanistan deserve support and should not be forgotten by the world. He emphasized the necessity of paying attention to the current situation in Afghanistan, noting that human rights violations and the oppression of women by the Taliban have significant repercussions for this group. Bennett stated that he receives messages every week about the Taliban’s mistreatment and that countries have a duty to work together to secure human rights in Afghanistan. He added, "No single action can be effective on its own. That’s why we must adopt a comprehensive approach. Various components are needed to achieve human rights goals." According to Bennett, until the human rights situation in Afghanistan improves, normalizing relations with the Taliban will not be possible. He urged UN member states to act in a coordinated manner against the Taliban. This comes as, since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, women and girls have faced severe restrictions in education, work, and social participation. These policies have not only violated human rights but also exacerbated deep social and economic crises in the country.

Zan News - Farah: A six-year-old boy has died after falling into a well in the "Perchman" district of Farah province. Six-Year-Old Boy Dies After Falling into a Well in Farah October 2, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Farah: A six-year-old boy has died after falling into a well in the "Perchman" district of Farah province. Local sources in Farah report that the incident occurred on Tuesday (October 1) in the village of "Min Josh". Local Taliban officials in Farah province have also confirmed the incident. Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, there have been numerous reports of children falling into wells, especially in the southern provinces of the country. In the latest incident, efforts to rescue a child in the "Dah Yak" district of Ghazni province were unsuccessful, and four rescuers died due to an electrical short circuit of their equipment inside the well. The Taliban Interior Ministry has recently ordered that all wells must be covered to prevent similar incidents and children falling into wells.

Zan News: Sayara Dashty, the President of the Fahim Dashty Foundation, was awarded the "King Charles III Coronation Medal" by the Canadian Parliament on Thursday (March 13). Photo: FahimDashty/X Sayara Dashty, President of the Fahim Dashty Foundation, Receives King Charles III’s Coronation Medal March 15, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Sayara Dashty, the President of the Fahim Dashty Foundation, was awarded the "King Charles III Coronation Medal" by the Canadian Parliament on Thursday (March 13). The medal was presented to Sayara Dashty in a ceremony by Ali Ehsassi, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in the Canadian Parliament. Ehsassi stated on his X account that he had the honor of awarding this medal to "distinguished individuals who have made a significant impact on their communities, country, and beyond." The Canadian government has awarded this medal to 25 individuals who have made a lasting contribution to society. According to the Government of Canada, the country is granting this medal to 30,000 deserving individuals in honor of the coronation of King Charles III, the monarch of Britain and the Commonwealth nations. The medal was designed by the Canadian government three days before the coronation ceremony of King Charles III, which took place on May 6, 2023. It is awarded to individuals whose outstanding achievements have brought recognition and honor to Canada on national and international levels. Meanwhile, the Fahim Dashty Foundation released a statement on Friday (March 14), announcing that Sayara Dashty received this medal "in recognition of her outstanding services in the media sector, her advocacy for freedom of expression, and her relentless fight for women's rights in Afghanistan." Notably, Sayara Dashty is the wife of Fahim Dashty, a well-known Afghan journalist and media activist. After the fall of Kabul in August 2021, Fahim Dashty joined the Panjshir resistance as the spokesperson of the National Resistance Front (NRF), led by Ahmad Massoud. He was killed during a Taliban attack on Panjshir. Following his death, Sayara Dashty established the Fahim Dashty Foundation, which works to support media freedom and Afghan journalists.

Zan News: Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States and Democratic presidential candidate, referred to the Taliban as a "terrorist organization." Photo: BILL PUGLIANO, JUSTIN SULLIVAN; GETTY IMAGES Kamala Harris Calls the Taliban a "Terrorist Organization" and Supports Biden's Decision to Withdraw from Afghanistan September 11, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States and Democratic presidential candidate, referred to the Taliban as a "terrorist organization." She made this statement on Tuesday (September 10) during a televised debate with Donald Trump, the former U.S. President and Republican candidate. Harris defended Joe Biden's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, stating that it was the first time in a century that U.S. forces were not present in any war front. Referring to the Doha Agreement between Washington and the Taliban, she described the agreement as "weak and terrible," adding, "Trump sat at the negotiating table with the Taliban, a terrorist organization, and even invited their leaders to Camp David." She also emphasized that Trump "sidelined the Afghan government and directly negotiated with the Taliban, a terrorist organization." Harris highlighted the release of 5,000 Taliban "terrorists" as part of this agreement. In contrast, Trump argued during the debate that negotiations with the Taliban were conducted to prevent attacks on U.S. troops. He mentioned that after the agreement was signed, no American soldiers were killed for 18 months. Trump described Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan as the "most disgraceful" military exit in U.S. history and insisted that the withdrawal should have been done in phases, according to the terms outlined in the Doha Agreement. It’s worth noting that this agreement was signed in February 2020 after months of negotiations between the Trump administration and the Taliban in Doha. Previously, some senior U.S. officials had also referred to the Taliban as a "terrorist group."

Zan News - Kandahar: The stoned body of a young woman has been found in the Ghorak district of Kandahar province. Social Media Stoned Body of a Woman Found in Kandahar July 27, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Kandahar: The stoned body of a young woman has been found in the Ghorak district of Kandahar province. Local sources told the media on Friday (26 July) that the incident occurred in the Haji Agha Lalai area of Ghorak district. According to the sources, several individuals took this young woman to the area and then stoned her. The exact identity of the woman has not yet been determined, and her body is being held at the health center in Ghorak district of Kandahar province. The Taliban have not yet commented on the matter. It is worth noting that this is not the first mysterious death of a woman in Kandahar, but such a method of murder a woman is rare.

Zan News: The Taliban's Supreme Court has announced that a woman and a man have been flogged in public in Sar-e Pol province on charges of “illicit relations.” Social Media Continuation of Corporal Punishments by the Taliban: Flogging of a Woman and a Man in Sar-e Pol April 7, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban's Supreme Court has announced that a woman and a man have been flogged in public in Sar-e Pol province on charges of “illicit relations.” On Monday (April 7), the court released a statement saying that the two individuals had been sentenced to three months in prison and 10 lashes. After final approval of the verdict, the punishment was carried out in front of the public. This move comes as reports indicate that Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s leader, has recently urged his cabinet members during Eid al-Fitr meetings to increase the implementation of “Sharia punishments,” especially in public. The Taliban claim that such actions aim to fully enforce the law of “propagation of virtue, prevention of vice.” It is worth noting that since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, they have repeatedly carried out corporal punishments in public and have executed six individuals in front of hundreds of spectators. International human rights organizations consider these actions as violations of human rights principles and international law.