Human rights conditions worsen in Afghanistan five years after Taliban takeover

Five years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, media and rights organisations report severe human rights setbacks, particularly for women, alongside an acute humanitarian emergency affecting approximately 40 percent of the population.

An investigation into 231 femicide cases highlighted systemic impunity for perpetrators following the 2023 dissolution of the attorney general's office, which previously tracked such crimes. Concurrently, sweeping restrictions remain on female employment, movement, and public participation. Amid widespread shortages, the United Nations confirmed that an international convoy of over 700 trucks transporting food and essential supplies crossed into Afghanistan via Pakistan despite border tensions.

In regional developments, human rights monitors reported the execution of 24-year-old Marzieh Neyri in neighbouring Iran after she resisted sexual assault, underscoring strict evidentiary hurdles confronting victims under Islamic retribution statutes.

Sources: Diário de Notícias (DN), Expresso, Expresso das Ilhas, Jornal Económico, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)