2026: Jan wk1
2025/'24: Dec wk4 -- Dec wk3 -2 -- Dec wk1 --
Click here for earlier Straight of the Trenches stories

 When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'.Artali

Amu - Jan 1, 2026 by Mehrdad Herawi
{Taliban order media in Herat to enforce ban on images of living beings: Sources
Taliban officials in Afghanistan’s western province of Herat have instructed local media outlets and online content creators to enforce a ban on publishing images of living beings, according to sources familiar with the meeting. The head of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, together with the provincial head of the Information and Culture Department, met media managers and several YouTubers on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, and demanded compliance with the restriction, the sources said. The officials told participants that filming or broadcasting images showing people — including journalists, presenters or interviewees — must stop, citing an order issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the sources added. Media outlets and visual content producers were instructed to avoid showing faces in news reports, programmes and online content and to ensure the directive is implemented across television stations and YouTube channels operating in the province. The Taliban have previously banned the broadcast of images of living beings in at least 16 provinces, invoking Article 17 of the law governing the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The restrictions have been imposed most strictly in provinces where the Taliban leadership holds stronger influence, according to local journalists and media watchdogs. The Taliban have not publicly commented on the Herat directive.} Source: https://amu.tv/219031/

Amu - Dec 31, 2025 - by Milad Sayar
{Restrictions on women and girls tightened across Afghanistan in 2025
Restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women and girls in Afghanistan intensified in 2025, with continued bans on education, work and public life, as well as tighter controls on women’s movement and dress, according to residents, rights advocates and the United Nations. In Kabul, dozens of women were detained during the year for failing to comply with Taliban-mandated dress codes, while in several provinces, including Herat, Taliban enforced stricter rules requiring women to wear the burqa, residents said. The Taliban also continued to remove or suspend female staff from universities and barred women from working for United Nations agencies, preventing female employees from entering UN offices following an order issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in September. The restrictions have had far-reaching social and economic consequences. Narges, whose name has been changed for security reasons, said her family’s income collapsed after her father, a former driver for a foreign organisation, and her mother, a former government employee, lost their jobs following the Taliban takeover. With girls barred from secondary education and the family facing severe financial hardship, Narges said she was forced into marriage to a man 17 years older than her in exchange for 700,000 Afghanis. “Like millions of girls in Afghanistan, I had dreams of studying and building a future,” she said. “When schools closed and my family lost its income, I had no choice. Because I am a girl, I had no right to decide my own future.” In higher education, universities across the country continued to dismiss or sideline female lecturers and staff. At Herat University alone, 81 female employees and teachers were removed from their posts, according to local sources. The ban on women working for UN agencies has also disrupted humanitarian operations. The UN refugee agency said in September it was forced to suspend cash assistance to Afghan returnees at border crossings with Iran because the absence of female staff made it impossible to register and assess the needs of women and girls. Residents say the cumulative effect of the restrictions has left women almost entirely excluded from public life. “Since the Taliban returned, women’s rights have been taken away step by step,” said a Kabul resident who asked not to be identified. “Education, work and participation in society have all been closed to women.” The Taliban say their policies are in line with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture. However, the United Nations and international rights groups have repeatedly condemned the measures, warning they amount to systematic discrimination. In its latest report, the UN sanctions monitoring team said Taliban policies have left nine out of every ten women in Afghanistan excluded from employment, education and skills training, deepening poverty and dependency across the country.} Source: https://amu.tv/218925/

Amu - Dec 31, 2025 by Qaseem Azizi
{Taliban flogged more than 1,000 people in public in 2025, figures show
The Taliban publicly flogged more than 1,000 people across Afghanistan in 2025, including at least 150 women, according to data released by their Supreme Court, marking a sharp rise in corporal punishment during the year. Figures compiled from official Taliban statements show that more than 1,030 people were flogged in public during 2025 for offences including running away from home, theft and acts the Taliban describe as contrary to Islamic law. Kabul recorded the highest number of cases. The data indicate a significant increase compared with previous years, with the number of public floggings in 2025 roughly doubling earlier annual totals. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have publicly flogged at least 1,848 people nationwide, including about 250 women, according to cumulative figures. Corporal punishment has become a routine feature of the Taliban’s justice system, with all provinces reporting cases over the past year. In addition to floggings, the Taliban carried out at least three public executions in 2025 in the provinces of Khost, Badghis and Paktia, drawing large crowds. In the most recent case in Khost, a man convicted of murder was executed before tens of thousands of spectators, with the sentence carried out by a 13-year-old, triggering widespread criticism. Overall, data show that over the past four years the Taliban have issued at least 178 death sentences under the principle of retribution, known as qisas, 37 stoning sentences and four punishments involving the collapse of walls onto convicts. At least 12 death sentences have been carried out so far. Human rights groups say the punishments violate international law and basic human rights standards. “The Taliban use extremist interpretations of religion to justify repression and cruelty,” said Sima Noori, a human rights activist. “Public flogging without fair trials and in the absence of a constitution is a clear violation of human rights.” Residents interviewed in Kabul said the punishments had created a climate of fear. “The Taliban have turned Afghanistan into a prison,” said one resident. “Men and women are flogged in front of crowds, stripping them of dignity.” International organisations including the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly condemned corporal punishment in Afghanistan and called for it to stop. Earlier this year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the Taliban’s leader and the head of its Supreme Court on charges including crimes against humanity and gender-based persecution. The Taliban have rejected international criticism and say they are enforcing what they describe as Islamic law.} Source: https://amu.tv/218838/

Amu - Dec 30, 2025 by Ahmad Azizi
{Taliban detain 25 people in Takhar over music
Taliban have detained at least 25 people in Afghanistan’s northeastern Takhar province for playing music at a private gathering, local sources said. The arrests took place overnight in Khwaja Ghar district, where residents had gathered at a house and were playing musical instruments and singing, the sources said. Taliban told those detained that the activity had disturbed local residents. According to the sources, the group was arrested by members of the district police command under Taliban control and transferred to an undisclosed location. It was not immediately clear how long they would be held or whether formal charges had been filed. Taliban officials have not publicly commented on the incident. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on music and other forms of entertainment, banning public performances, music at weddings, and the playing of music in vehicles. Taliban leaders say the measures are based on their interpretation of Islamic law. Human rights groups say such arrests reflect a broader campaign by the Taliban to enforce strict social rules and curb personal freedoms. The United Nations and international rights organisations have repeatedly criticised the Taliban for restrictions on cultural life and civil liberties, particularly in rural areas where enforcement is often harsher.} Source: https://amu.tv/218698/

Zan Times - Dec 29, 2025 - by Zahra Nader and Sayed Abdali
{‘Everything we had, they took away’: how women are defying the Taliban’s brutal crackdown on protest
This report has been published in partnership with the Guardian.
It was nearly dark on 19 January 2022 when the knocking began. At first soft, then insistent, the sound echoed through the flat in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Zarmina Paryani and her sisters froze. They had known this day was coming. “We always knew the risks of protesting and we were prepared to die on the streets,” the 26-year-old activist told Zan Times in an interview in her home in Germany, where she lives in exile. “But I never imagined they would come for us like that – in the middle of the night, breaking into our home.” Just three days earlier, she and dozens of women had protested on the streets and burned a burqa in a symbolic act of defiance against the Taliban’s growing restrictions. The protest had been organised via WhatsApp groups and word of mouth. The image of the burning burqa, shared on social media, had gone viral and ignited uproar among Taliban soldiers and supporters, who were demanding the women be stoned to death for disrespecting the garment. Now, they were at her door. As masked men began forcing their way inside, Paryani says she made a desperate decision. “I couldn’t bear to be taken alive. I couldn’t watch them enter our bedroom, violate us or behead us in the night.” She jumped from the three-storey window. Miraculously, she survived the fall with minor injuries. Just as fortunately, before the Taliban could break down their door, her sister Tamana Paryani recorded a short video in which she screamed that the Taliban were outside. She sent the footage to a journalist and it was immediately posted on social media, with their arrest initially denied by the militants. “That video saved our lives. It was the only weapon we had.” Zarmina had grown up in Panjshir, in a deeply religious family. For years, before she moved to Kabul, her education consisted only of mosque schooling. “From a young age, we were taught that women were ‘deficient in mind’. I believed it. I adjusted myself to it.” But school brought questions. Why were her high marks never enough to prove her worth compared with her brother? Why did neighbours mock her for attending school at all? Her mother, who had been denied an education, encouraged her daughters to keep going. “She used to say: learn so you will never need to depend on a man.” Zarmina trained as a midwife, but when the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the small gains that women and girls had made evaporated overnight. “It felt like a storm had come. Everything we had, even the little things, they took away.” In the early weeks of the takeover, a spontaneous women’s protest movement emerged. Largely leaderless, composed of ordinary women – students, police officers, teachers, midwives – it began as scattered, small-scale marches. Zarmina and her sisters joined. “We didn’t tell our father. He would never have let us go. Like many families, they didn’t support the protests because they feared for our safety.” They covered their faces with masks, met in secret, and hid signs inside black plastic bags. Sometimes they changed locations at the last minute to evade Taliban patrols. Their demands were simple: the right to study, to work, to live without fear. “We were not affiliated with any political party. We were just women asking for our rights,” says another protester, who was later detained and beaten by Taliban officials after a protest near Kabul University in December 2022. By January 2022 and the raid on Zarmina’s home, the sporadic arrests had turned into a targeted suppression. The video her sister sent to the journalist spread across international media and prompted global outrage. But inside Afghanistan, the result was clear: dissent would be met with brutal force. The Taliban were arriving at the site of protests sometimes before the protest had started, says Zarmina, with women repressed into silence. Today, no women come to the street to protest. The last known public protest took place in west Kabul in September last year. Indoor protests, symbolic acts, such as dancing alone in a mosque or burning the burqa, are now the only forms of resistance. Zarmina spent 27 days in detention before being released and told: “If you speak again, we will cut your throat.” She managed to escape to Pakistan disguised in a burqa and plastic shoes and now lives in exile in Germany. “I don’t feel secure even here. And when I write or speak, I wonder: will my father be harmed? Will my family be punished?” Despite her fears, she testified at the People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan, hoping to leave “a record for history.” Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan who was present in the Hague during the announcement, welcomed the findings and said: “The tribunal’s determination that the Taliban’s policies and their implementation constitute inhuman acts and persecution on grounds of gender is a crucial recognition of the scale and intention behind this oppression.” Zarmina and other anti-Taliban protesters in exile say they continue to get messages from girls in Afghanistan who have been pushed into marriage, or forced to do sex work to be able to afford to feed their children. Rashida Manjoo, chair of the Tribunal, said: “The systematic exclusion of women and girls [by the Taliban authorities] from education, employment, healthcare, freedom of expression, public life and freedom of movement constitute gender persecution.” Since the Taliban’s return to power, women and girls have been barred from nearly every aspect of public life: schools, universities, most jobs and even parks. “We used to think the Taliban were just a group of religious men. Now we see what their rule really means. Maybe next time, people won’t be fooled. Sometimes I think this generation, with all this suffering, might finally learn who the real enemy is.” Zahra Nader is the editor-in-chief of Zan Times. Sayed Abdali is Zan Times journalist.} Source: https://zantimes.com/2025/12/29/everything-we-had-they-took-away-the-talibans-brutal-crackdown-on-womens-protests/

Amu - Dec 29, 2025 by Ahmad Azizi
{Taliban burn musical instruments in eastern Afghanistan
Taliban collected and burned dozens of musical instruments in the eastern province of Nangarhar, saying the move was aimed at enforcing Islamic principles and reforming society. The Taliban governor’s office in Nangarhar province said in a statement that their enforcers from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice seized 86 musical instruments in the ninth district of Jalalabad city and burned them in the presence of a joint committee. The statement said the action was taken to prevent what the Taliban described as immoral practices and to implement Islamic law, adding that similar measures would continue. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on music, banning it from public events, weddings, radio and television broadcasts, and many public spaces. Musical instruments have been confiscated and destroyed in several provinces. Human rights groups and cultural activists have criticised the bans, saying they have erased key elements of Afghanistan’s cultural life and further restricted artistic expression under Taliban rule.} Source: https://amu.tv/218517/


Medical Training for Female Graduates
Jinhagency - Womens News Agency - Dec 27, 2025
Practical Medical Training for Female Graduates in Kabul Between Ban and Health Crisis
Dozens of Afghan women doctors have completed practical training in Kabul, but restrictions on women's education and their exclusion from medical institutions have disrupted their careers, further exacerbating the country's severe health crisis
News Center — Girls in Afghanistan are facing a strict ban on secondary and higher education, prompting widespread criticism from human rights and international organizations that have described the decision as a “direct threat” to women’s future and to public health, amid a worsening health crisis and a severe shortage of female medical personnel. Independent Afghan media reported that dozens of Afghan women doctors gained practical experience in various clinical settings as part of a training program launched in June of last year. Organizers explained that this was the second practical course of its kind, but that it is being held under restrictive policies that prevent women from pursuing higher education and joining medical institutions. Local sources indicated that many female graduates were unable to sit for graduation examinations, leaving their formal path to entering the healthcare sector stalled to date. International human rights and medical bodies have described the ban or restriction on women’s medical education as a “direct threat” to the health of women and children. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have called for these policies to be reversed, warning that without a female clinical workforce, millions of women in conservative areas of the country are unable to access essential healthcare. The link between these restrictions and critical health indicators is particularly evident, as Afghanistan records one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Estimates by international organizations and media reports indicate a rate of approximately 638 deaths per 100,000 live births. Chronic shortages of doctors, midwives, and female health workers over past decades have contributed to the worsening of this crisis, and experts warn that continued reductions in the number of newly trained female healthcare workers will further diminish access to safe childbirth, as well as weaken prenatal and postnatal care services. The healthcare system is also under severe strain. Reduced financial support, the suspension of international aid, the closure or downsizing of hundreds of health centers, and the migration of specialized staff have led to acute service shortages, even in rural areas. In addition, certain regulations—such as requiring a male guardian (mahram) or the presence of checkpoints that restrict women’s movement—have hindered access to emergency care. Cases of maternal deaths have been recorded as a result of delayed arrival at health facilities. International and research institutions warn that this combination of factors could further increase maternal mortality unless policymakers and international donors provide tangible solutions. Afghan doctors and activists say that courses like the one recently held in Kabul are “necessary but insufficient,” calling for the full reopening of medical training institutions for women, the administration of postponed professional examinations, protection for female workers in their workplaces, and the provision of resources needed to retain and train healthcare staff across the country to prevent a long-term collapse in maternal and child healthcare capacity. Humanitarian and civil society sources also stress the importance of maintaining aid and directing it toward maternity services and essential treatments in the most underserved areas.{} Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/practical-medical-training-for-female-graduates-in-kabul-between-ban-and-health-crisis-38242?page=1


Yalda
Amu - Dec 22, 2025 by Sharif Amiry
{Afghans mark Yalda Night as symbol of hope and endurance
Afghans across the country marked Yalda Night, also known as Shab-e Chella, the longest night of the year, celebrating a centuries-old tradition that many regard as a symbol of hope, patience and the belief that light follows darkness. Families in several provinces gathered late into the night, sharing food and conversation to honour the ancient occasion, even as some households faced limited access to electricity and basic services. In western Herat province, residents observed Yalda with enthusiasm, laying out traditional spreads and reviving customs passed down through generations. “Even though we did not have electricity tonight, we celebrated Yalda,” said Farahnaz Mohammadi, a resident of Herat. “We have honoured this night every year. Yalda is one of the most beautiful and memorable nights for us.” Some families chose to celebrate outside their homes. Elham Baqeri said she went with her family to a well-known restaurant in Herat to eat gosht-e land, a dried meat dish traditionally associated with Yalda in the region “Yalda is a beautiful and memorable night,” Baqeri said. “This valuable cultural heritage should be protected and passed on.” Markets in Herat were also busy, with residents buying traditional Yalda fruits, particularly pomegranates, which sellers said were abundant this year. “I bought eight kilograms of pomegranates to take home for my children,” said Enayatullah, a shopper. “They are affordable and part of our Yalda tradition.” Another vendor, Farshid, said strong supply had made the fruit accessible to most families. “People can easily buy pomegranates this year,” he said. Yalda Night, which coincides with the winter solstice, is widely observed in Afghanistan as a reminder of resilience, patience and the enduring belief that darkness will eventually give way to light.} Source: https://amu.tv/217215/

Malala Yousafzai and father Ziauddin Yousafzai
Zan Times - Nov 10, 2025 - by Ziauddin Yousafzai
{Letter from Ziauddin Yousafzai, co-founder of Malala Fund, for Afghan men
To Afghan fathers and brothers,
I have been where you are now. I was once a father watching helplessly as the Taliban tried to erase my daughter’s future. In 2008, they took over our town in Swat Valley and forbade our girls from going to school. My daughter, Malala, risked her life to speak out against this injustice. Over the last four years, your daughters and sisters have been fighting for their dreams and ambitions — learning in secret, expressing themselves through poetry and art, resisting in every way they can. And I have seen your courage too: male students walking out of their classrooms in protest as their female classmates were barred from learning, fathers risking everything to make sure their daughters can continue their education, families and communities opening their homes to support underground schools. You know that every girl deserves an education, and your bravery and love are keeping hope alive.
As Muslim men — whether in safety or in struggle — we are called by our faith to stand with girls and women in defending their right to learn, to work and to move freely. Education is not a Western idea; it is a sacred duty. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us that seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim — man and woman alike. Our own history affirms this: Khadija, a successful businesswoman, and Aisha, one of the greatest scholars of Islam, each embodied the power of learning guided by faith. I know these are difficult and dangerous times. To stay silent in the face of injustice can feel safer, but it is to turn away from our faith’s legacy. Speaking against the Taliban’s gender apartheid regime is frightening, but remaining silent is far more terrifying because nothing will change on its own. To speak out is both a father’s duty and a believer’s duty to protect the dignity and future of our daughters. To every brave Afghan father and brother helping girls learn: I salute your courage. Never give up hope, and remember you are not alone. Malala Fund will continue standing with and supporting you. Until Afghanistan is free from gender apartheid, every home must become a secret school, every kitchen a classroom, every living room a place of resistance. You can shift cultural expectations and behaviours in your homes and show that valuing girls’ education is a mark of integrity and strength. You can create an environment where learning is protected, even when the world outside is hostile:
●      Teach reading, math or other skills at home. Even basic lessons, practiced consistently, help girls continue their education.
●      Share resources: Use phones and the internet (where possible) to download books, podcasts or educational videos. Organisations like Begum Organization, Education Bridge for Afghanistan and LEARN Afghan provide courses through radio, satellite television and online.
●      Encourage study circles: Brothers can quietly gather cousins, sisters or neighbours to read and study together, providing companionship and safety.
●      Model respect: Men should praise and encourage girls’ learning, showing boys that supporting their sisters’ education is honourable.
●      Create time and space: Brothers and fathers can take on household chores so girls have time to study.
●      Keep hope alive: Words of encouragement strengthen girls’ resilience in the face of oppression.
Remember that the Taliban can take away girls’ schools, jobs and public spaces, but they cannot take what lives in your heart and mind, nor the knowledge you choose to pass on. Your courage at home today strengthens the fight for girls and women’s freedom everywhere.
In solidarity,
Ziauddin Yousafzai, co-founder of Malala Fund} Source: https://zantimes.com/2025/11/10/letter-from-ziauddin-yousafzai-co-founder-of-malala-fund-for-zan-times/

Women's Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2026