Symbolic image: AI-generated / Zan TV Five years ago, when Shirin was just 15, she was dressed in bridal clothes and a wedding veil. But that day did not mark the beginning of a married life for her. Instead, it marked the start of years of suffering, humiliation and deprivation. She was given in “baad” to the family of a man whose killing her brother had been involved in, even though she herself had played no role in the crime. Shirin is now 20. She says that throughout the past five years, she has lived in a household where she is seen not as a wife, but as compensation for a killing. Members of her husband’s family humiliate her and tell her that she has no value. “I am 20 years old, and I was given in baad because my brother was involved in a killing,” Shirin says. “Now this family tells me, ‘You have no value. You are only a slave.’ I am tortured every day. I have endured this for five years.” Shirin is not alone. In some parts of Afghanistan, girls are still handed over to another family not by their own choice, but to end a feud, settle the blood price for a killing, or preserve what some families consider their “honor.” The practice is known as “baad.” Under this practice, a crime committed by a man can change a girl’s life forever. She may have had no role in the killing or in the dispute between the two families, yet she is made to pay the price through the loss of her freedom, dignity and future. For generations, when fighting or disputes between two families resulted in a death, local elders would often try to end the hostility through a jirga, or traditional council. In some areas, one way of resolving such disputes was to give a daughter or sister from the family of the person who committed the killing to the victim’s family. This practice, known as baad, can also involve underage girls. Shirin says that in her husband’s family, she is seen not as a wife but as someone who must pay for her brother’s crime. “This is a bad practice,” she says. “My brother had the problem, but he is free and living his life. I will remain imprisoned in this house for his crime as long as I am alive.” Shirin was 15 when she entered a marriage she says she knew almost nothing about. She says no wedding ceremony was held for her; a mullah simply performed the marriage. According to Shirin, her husband is around 40 years old and already had another wife and six children. “I did not understand many things,” she says. “There was no wedding celebration for me. The mullah just performed the marriage and left. After that night, they told me I had to go to my husband’s house. My husband is much older than me. He has another wife and six children.” Shirin says she has never felt that she was treated with the dignity or status of a wife in the household. Instead, she says, she has largely been treated like someone guilty of a crime. Baad is not practised across all of Afghanistan, but in some areas, including parts of Helmand and Kandahar, it is still used in some cases to settle family and tribal disputes. In parts of southern and southwestern Afghanistan, many family and tribal disputes are resolved through jirgas. In some cases, women and girls are handed over to the opposing family as part of a settlement or as compensation for a crime. Tribal elders in Helmand say economic hardship, efforts to end long-running feuds and a lack of awareness are among the factors that allow the practice to continue. “Economic problems, ending a feud, and a lack of information and awareness lead some people to give their daughter or sister in baad,” Noorullah, a tribal elder in Helmand, told Zan News. He adds that some families still see baad as a way to preserve family “honor” or end a feud, while women and girls ultimately bear the consequences of those decisions. Zainab, another woman in Kandahar, says she too became a victim of the same practice. According to her, in 2023, a fight broke out between her father and the brother of her current husband. Her father killed the man during the confrontation. A tribal jirga was then held to settle the dispute, and it decided that Zainab would be given to the dead man’s brother. “When my father fought with my husband’s brother, my father stabbed and killed him,” Zainab says. “Because of that, the people and the tribe held a jirga and gave me to the brother of the man who was killed.” She says that after the marriage, she even lost the right to visit her father’s home or see her relatives. “After this marriage, I was no longer allowed to go to my father’s house,” Zainab says. “My husband told me, ‘You have no right to go to your father’s home or visit your other relatives.’” Mental health specialists say forced marriages and living in conditions where a person’s autonomy and dignity are disregarded can have serious psychological consequences for women and girls, with effects that may also extend to their children. Shahla Naimi, a mental health specialist, says women who are forced into marriage against their will can develop serious psychological and emotional problems. “If a woman is married against her will, she can develop mental health problems,” Naimi says. “Many women and girls come for help because this is the source of their problems, and some develop severe psychological conditions.” According to her, the harm is not limited to the woman herself. Children growing up in such families may also be affected by the consequences. “What is even worse is that children born to such parents are affected by the disrespect and devaluation directed at their mother,” Naimi says. “A generation can grow up with serious psychological problems because the structure of the family has broken down.” Although baad continues to be practised in some parts of Afghanistan, there are no precise figures on how many women and girls have been forced into marriage through this practice in recent years. The Taliban, however, say their administration opposes forced marriage and does not allow families to marry off girls against their will. But the accounts of women such as Shirin and Zainab show that for victims of baad, the issue goes beyond forced marriage. They can spend years paying the price for crimes they did not commit. Shirin is now 20 and has spent five years of her life in a household where she says she is held responsible for a crime committed by her brother. For her, and for women like Zainab, baad is not the end of a feud between men. It is the beginning of a punishment that women and girls may live with for years.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons Following the Russian Federation’s decision to recognize the Taliban regime, the “Coordination Association of Afghan Women Activists” has issued a resolution strongly condemning the move and calling it “an explicit collaboration with a misogynistic, ethnocentric, and regressive regime.” In its resolution, the association stressed that Russia’s decision is not merely a political act but “active participation in the systematic suppression of women’s rights in Afghanistan.” The text of the resolution states, “Over the past two decades, the Taliban have deprived thousands of women of education, work, free life, political participation, and even breathing. Secret prisons, public lashings, arrests, and killings of women’s rights activists are only part of the Taliban’s record. With this decision, Russia has consciously aligned itself with such crimes.” The association also stated that Moscow’s action contradicts the principles of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women’s participation in peace and security processes. They emphasized that the Taliban have no popular or electoral legitimacy and “have systematically violated the conventions on the rights of women, children, and minorities.” Another part of the resolution reads, “From now on, Russia is a moral, political, and legal partner of the Taliban. Every act of repression by the Taliban will carry international approval from the Kremlin.” The Coordination Association of Afghan Women Activists emphasized that “history will record this day; the day a global power granted legitimacy to a brutal and backward regime; not for the people of Afghanistan, but for its own geopolitical interests.” This comes as the Taliban announced on Thursday (3 July) that their regime has been officially recognized by Russia. The Russian ambassador in Kabul confirmed the move, stating that the formal proposal was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia is the first country to officially recognize the Taliban regime after their return to power in Afghanistan. Russian officials have cited “security cooperation with the Taliban” and “the group’s role in countering drug trafficking” as reasons for the decision. This action has been welcomed by China, and regional media outlets such as The Express Tribune have reported that other countries are also assessing the possibility of recognizing the Taliban. In response to this decision, many institutions and activists have expressed strong reactions. Among them, the “Afghanistan Diplomats Solidarity Association” has described Russia’s move as a violation of international law and a threat to peace in the region and the world.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons Women without guardians and breadwinners in the western region of the country, complaining about the prohibition of work for women by the Taliban, say that according to this command from the Taliban's leader, not only have they lost their jobs, but they have also been forced to sell their dignity and honor cheaply. Some women in the western provinces of the country say that on one hand they are facing severe economic problems, and on the other, according to the Taliban leader's command, they are not allowed to work outside the home, which has driven them to beg on the streets and roads. Sufia, a widow who has wrapped herself in a blue burqa, says that the compulsion of fate, along with the Taliban’s prohibition on women’s work, has forced her to extend her begging hand to people on the streets of Herat from dawn till dusk. "My children's stomachs are hungry; I have to beg; my husband had cancer and passed away; I used to work at an institute, but the Taliban said that women, without a mahram, are not allowed to leave the house for work; I became unemployed and sold everything I had—nothing remains for me except begging." Nadia Shahir, another woman without a guardian residing in Farah province, has complained about the prohibition of work for women and says: "I am a widow; my father was elderly and passed away, and my brothers also barely make a living—so how am I supposed to get a mahram for myself? How can I cover the expenses of my six young children? During the republic era, I worked in this very Safa command, but the Taliban kicked me out." Bibi Hoor, another one of these women who begs in the Pul - Pashtun area of Herat province, says that she previously worked as a cook at an institution; however, with the issuance of the Taliban's decree prohibiting women's work, she lost her job. By raising this question, she calls the Taliban's laws un-Islamic and inhumane: "The Taliban have prohibited work for us, so why do they allow begging and consider it permissible? Do I beg inside my own house? If I go out begging, there's no problem, but when I go out for honorable work, it is forbidden for me." On the other hand, women's rights activists are calling on international organizations and the Taliban government to remove the restrictions imposed on women's work and activities. Fazelah Nadim, one of the women's rights activists, says: "It is necessary for the world to focus on the issue of Afghan women, and the Taliban must review their imposed laws, especially regarding human rights and women's rights, because today life has really turned into a cage and prison for women and girls." It should be noted that after seizing power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have banned work, education, for women and girls.

Source: Social Media The British newspaper The Guardian, in collaboration with Zan Times, an Afghan news agency, has published a report detailing the arrest, forced confessions, and punishment of women by the Taliban. The report, published today, Tuesday (May 6), features the accounts of three Afghan women who were detained without having committed any specific crime and were publicly flogged after being coerced into confessions. One of the women, named Diba, said she was arrested twice by the Taliban simply for leaving her home without a male guardian. The first time, she was held for four nights. Three months later, she was arrested again while visiting a restaurant without a male escort and spent 20 days in prison. During this second detention, Diba was sentenced to 28 lashes. However, the Taliban released her after one week so that the wounds would be less visible. The report also recounts the story of a 22-year-old woman from a western province of Afghanistan who was detained by the Taliban’s morality police while traveling with her cousin. Under pressure, she was forced to falsely confess to being in a “relationship,” and she was threatened that her cousin would be killed if she refused. Another case in the report involves a 16-year-old girl who was arrested for not having a male guardian and sentenced to 39 lashes. Her family stated that the experience caused severe psychological trauma and resulted in frequent nervous breakdowns. According to the report, since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, more than 1,000 people have been publicly flogged, with at least 200 of them being women. However, it is believed that the actual number of summary trials and punishments is significantly higher than what has been reported.

Source: Social Media The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that a woman was publicly flogged in Parwan province on charges of "extramarital relations." According to a statement released by the court on Tuesday (3 June), the woman received 39 lashes in public. It is worth noting that a day earlier, the Taliban court also flogged two individuals, including a woman, in Alishang district of Laghman province. They were sentenced to 30 lashes and six months in prison each for "running away from home and helping escape." These incidents come amid a renewed wave of public punishments carried out by the Taliban in recent days. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has responded to the rise in such public punishments, has stated that this group must not be normalized. According to him, the Taliban publicly flogged 63 men and 4 women just last week. Human rights organizations have consistently condemned these actions by the Taliban as violations of human rights and breaches of fair trial standards. However, the Taliban continue to insist on carrying out such punishments, claiming they are “in accordance with Islamic Sharia.”

Source: Social Media The Taliban Supreme Court has announced that two women were flogged publicly in Darzab district of Jawzjan province. According to the court, the women were punished on charges of “extramarital relations” and “running away from home.” In a statement released by the Taliban Supreme Court on Tuesday (24 June), each of the women was sentenced to 39 lashes and three years in prison. It is worth noting that although the Taliban enforce such punishments based on their own interpretation of Sharia, human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that carrying out punishments such as public flogging and execution violates human dignity and contradicts international human rights obligations.

Source: Social Media The Taliban have flogged twelve individuals, including three women, in the provinces of Kabul, Kunduz, and Logar. These individuals were punished on charges of "extramarital relations" and "drug trafficking." According to a statement by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, three people in Logar, including one woman, were flogged in public on charges of extramarital relations. The statement notes that two of them received 30 lashes each, and the third received 39 lashes. In Kunduz province, the Taliban court reported that a woman and a man in Qala-e-Zal district were each sentenced to 39 lashes and three years of imprisonment. In Kabul, seven individuals, including one woman, were flogged on various charges. According to the court, one woman and one man received 39 lashes and were sentenced to two years in prison for extramarital relations. Five others were flogged with 20 to 35 lashes and sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight months to three years for buying and selling narcotic tablets and hashish. Human rights organizations and the United Nations have repeatedly condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment and desert trials, calling them serious violations of human rights and contrary to the principles of fair trial. However, the Taliban have continued to ignore these criticisms.

Photo: Mohammad Barno / Avash Media, CC BY 4.0 The World Food Programme (WFP) says that while more than 10 million Afghan citizens are struggling with a hunger crisis, thousands of Afghan families deported from Iran enter the country every day and are in critical need of immediate assistance. On Thursday (10 July), the agency posted on social media platform X, stating that “the Deputy Country Director of WFP in Afghanistan visited the site and described the urgent needs of families who have been returned from Iran.” According to the WFP, returning families are in urgent need of food, drinking water, shelter, and healthcare services. Meanwhile, Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, stated that over the past month, more than half a million Afghan migrants have returned from Iran. According to him, more than 30,000 people enter Afghanistan daily through the Islam Qala border in Herat, and another 10,000 through the Pul-e-Abresham in Nimroz. He added that Iran is not carrying out this process gradually but instead unloads around 350 to 400 buses of migrants each day at the Islam Qala border alone. According to him, Afghan migrants face mistreatment in camps inside Iran. Hanafi also said that returning migrants are provided with a cash assistance of 2,000 Afghanis, and free transportation to their provinces of origin is being arranged. This comes as the deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran has intensified following the country’s temporary ceasefire with Israel, and there is no clear prospect for stopping this process. Experts warn that women and children are the most vulnerable among the returnees, with many arriving without companions or the means to meet even their most basic needs.

Source: wikimedia commons Human Rights Watch has announced in a report that the Taliban’s internet shutdown has dealt a heavy blow to the rights and livelihoods of millions of Afghan citizens and deprived them of education, information, and vital services. This blackout began in mid-September and, from Monday evening (September 29), spread across the entire country. In the report published today, Wednesday (October 1), Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at the organization, said: “The Taliban’s actions in cutting the internet have made the livelihoods of millions of Afghans vulnerable and deprived them of their basic rights to education, health care, and access to information. The Taliban must abandon their baseless justifications and put an end to these shutdowns.” According to Human Rights Watch, the Taliban have justified this action in the name of “preventing immoral behavior,” but in practice its consequences have been catastrophic, disrupting banking, commerce, media, health services, and even Kabul flights. Humanitarian aid groups have also stressed that this blackout has prevented coordination and the distribution of vital assistance. Indrika Ratwatte, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, said: “This is another crisis on top of existing ones that severely affects people’s lives.” The internet shutdown has most of all isolated women and girls. Many of them, who after the Taliban’s bans could only continue learning through online education, have now lost even this last window of hope. A university professor told Human Rights Watch that out of 28 students in an online class, only 9 were able to connect. Journalists have also reported that they are unable to make local and international calls, and this blackout has disrupted reporting and documenting human rights violations. Domestic media remained silent for hours, while exiled media faced serious problems in verifying reports from inside the country. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had previously emphasized that access to the internet is an integral part of freedom of expression, political participation, education, and vital services, and its shutdown can exacerbate social and gender inequalities. Abbasi warned: “Afghans were already isolated from the world, but now they are completely cut off. The longer this blackout continues, the more devastating its consequences will be for the people and the future of the country.”

AI-generated / Zan TV The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) says it continues to work with women organizations across Afghanistan to support and empower Afghan women and stands by them. In a recent report, the agency emphasized that the achievements Afghan women had gained through great effort over the past two decades have been lost following the Taliban's return to power, and Afghanistan is now facing one of the most unprecedented crises in the field of women's rights. UN Women described the resilience of Afghan women in the face of restrictions and discrimination as “inspiring.” It is worth noting that over the past four years, the Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions on the lives of women and girls, ranging from banning girls’ education beyond grade six to prohibiting employment in offices, media outlets, and international organizations, and even preventing their free presence in public spaces. Despite repeated international calls for the restoration of women's rights, the Taliban continue to claim that these rights are upheld according to Islamic Sharia. However, the current realities reveal something entirely different.