Azadi Briefing

Welcome back to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Mustafa Sarwar, a senior news editor at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

Hora Sadat, a prominent female Afghan YouTuber, mysteriously died in Kabul on August 21. Reports suggested the 25-year-old was poisoned after attending a public event.

The Taliban on August 24 said that two people -- a man and a woman -- had been arrested in connection with Sadat’s death.

The motive for her alleged poisoning is not clear. Sadat’s death has prompted anger on social media, with some activists pointing the finger at the Taliban. But others have speculated that personal enmity could have been the cause of her death. She is believed to have recently split from her fiance.

When contacted by RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi, Sadat’s brother refused to comment on the details of her death.

Why It's Important: Sadat’s death has underscored the dangers faced by women under the Taliban.

Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban has banned women from education and most forms of employment, effectively denied them any public role in society, and imposed strict limitations on their mobility and appearance.

Sadat, who had tens of thousands of subscribers on YouTube, produced videos on social issues for a mainly young audience. She also participated in public events organized by women in Kabul, although she was not known for publicly criticizing the Taliban.

Maryam Maarouf Arwin, an Afghan women’s rights activist, told Radio Azadi that she suspected Sadat had been targeted and killed. “In the past, we have witnessed the murder of active women many times," she said.

There is no evidence that the Taliban was involved in Sadat’s death.

What's Next: The militant group has previously detained or arrested women who have played a visible role in society, a trend that is likely to continue.

On August 20, the Taliban detained eight female members of the Afghan Unity and Solidarity Movement, which has publicly opposed the militant group’s draconian policies. The women were reportedly released after vowing to stop their protests.

In January, Mursal Nabidzadah, a former female lawmaker, was shot dead along with a bodyguard when unidentified gunmen broke into her house in Kabul. The motives for her killing still remain unclear.

The Week's Best Stories

'Forced To Dress Like a Muslim': Taliban Imposes Restrictions On Afghanistan's Sikh, Hindu Minorities

Members of Afghanistan's tiny Sikh and Hindu communities say the Taliban has imposed restrictions on their appearances and prevented them from marking important religious holidays in public. Many Afghan Sikhs and Hindus have fled the country in recent years following deadly attacks targeting the religious minorities.

'I Feel Suffocated': Taliban Intensifies Clampdown On Music In Afghanistan

The Taliban is intensifying the enforcement of its ban on music. In the western city of Herat, residents say that members of the Taliban's morality police have searched cars and confiscated MP3 players and USBs containing music. Others in the city complain that the militants are also searching homes and seizing musical instruments, which they then burn publicly.

What To Keep An Eye On

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a report released on August 24 that 33 hospitals that provide services to around 9 million Afghans are on “the verge of stopping their services.”

The organization also noted an uptick in the cases of acute diarrhea and dengue fever in the country.

The report came after Daniel Endres, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, said on August 17 that 260 fixed and mobile health centers have been closed in the country, depriving some 2 million people access to health services.

Why It's Important: Afghanistan has been gripped by a public health-care crisis since the Taliban seized power, which led to Western donors abruptly cutting off assistance.

Aid groups funded by international donors have continued their operations in the fields of health, education, and food assistance. But their activities have been hampered by decreasing funding by donors, the Taliban’s alleged interference in the delivery of foreign aid, and the militants’ ban on women working for NGOs.

Declining funding by international donors is likely to worsen the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the largest in the world.

Mohammad Ali, a resident of Kabul, told Radio Azadi that he is concerned about the possible closure of the 33 hospitals funded by Western donors.

"Afghans are in such a bad situation. They are wondering when they will eat their next bit of bread. What should we do if the hospitals are closed?" he said.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Mustafa Sarwar

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe for free, click here.

I'm Malali Bashir, senior editor for women’s programs at RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The Taliban banned the cultivation, production, and trafficking of all illicit narcotics in April 2022.

But opium markets continue to operate as usual in many areas, including in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand, where most of the country’s opium is produced, according to locals who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi.

Syed Najibullah Ahmadi, a former Afghan anti-narcotics official, said drug traffickers amassed large “strategic stockpiles” of opium ahead of the ban and are now “selling it at many times the price.”

Experts have said that the Taliban has taxed narcotics producers and been involved in the trafficking of narcotics to neighboring countries, from where they end up in Europe and North America.

The Taliban has asserted that it has significantly reduced opium production, a claim that has been backed by some experts. Even as opium production appears to have decreased, Afghanistan has become a major supplier of other narcotics, including crystal meth.

Why It's Important: The continuing sale and trafficking of narcotics has raised questions about the Taliban’s commitment to stamp out drugs in the impoverished country.

Ending Afghanistan's status as one of the world's biggest producers of narcotics has long been a priority for the international community.

In a statement on July 31, the U.S. State Department said Washington had “registered serious concerns regarding continuing trafficking and sale of processed opiates and synthetic drugs” in talks with Taliban officials.

What's Next: The Taliban is likely to face increasing pushback from poppy farmers in Afghanistan as it fails to provide them with alternative livelihoods and crops.

"We used to grow poppies and use that money to provide for our needs,” said a farmer in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, who spoke to Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “If you destroy our crops, then you have to give us wheat, fertilizer, or money, so that we can continue to live.”

The Week's Best Stories

Draconian Decrees: The Taliban's Restrictions In Afghanistan

Since seizing power two years ago, the Taliban has imposed restrictions on every aspect of Afghans’ lives, including their appearances, freedom of movement, the right to work or study, and access to entertainment and uncensored information.

The Taliban’s notorious religious police have enforced the new laws, often violently, in many areas. Those who violate the Taliban’s morality laws can be subject to public floggings, jail, or even death.

Islam Does Not Ban Girls' Education. So Why Does The Taliban?

Afghanistan is the only country in the world where teenage girls are not allowed to go to school, even though girls and women have a right to education under Islam. So why has the Taliban -- a militant Islamist group -- banned girls from attending school after sixth grade? Part of the answer lies in the Taliban's interpretation of Islam, experts say.

What To Keep An Eye On

The Taliban has announced that it has registered more than 100 madrasahs, or religious schools, across Afghanistan.

Zar Mohammad Haqqani, a Taliban official, said 124 madrasahs were granted permission to operate, while another 30 were likely to be registered soon.

An unknown number of unregistered madrasahs are believed to be operating in the country.

Why It's Important: Since the Taliban takeover, there has been a surge in the number of madrasahs in the country. The militants have vowed to build a vast network of madrasahs across the country's 34 provinces.

The move is seen as part of efforts to root out all forms of the modern secular education that thrived in Afghanistan after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 toppled the Taliban's first regime.

The Taliban-run madrasahs promote extremist religious instruction, raising fears that it could radicalize a new generation of Afghans.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org.

Until next time,

Malali Bashir

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe for free here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.