Azadi Briefing

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

I'm Frud Bezhan, regional desk editor for Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The Taliban has closed many of the Afghan offices of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, a prominent charity linked closely with the Iranian government, according to Iranian media reports.

Iran’s Jamaran news website said the charity’s offices in the cities of Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-e Sharif have been shut down and sealed by Taliban fighters in recent weeks.

The website -- which is close to the family of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic -- added that the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee was not given prior notice or offered any reasons for the closures.

Only the charity’s office in the Afghan city of Zaranj, near the Iranian border, is still believed to be operating. Both the charity and the Taliban have yet to comment on the reported shutdowns.

The charity, whose head is chosen by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has a long history of operations in Afghanistan and was registered with the Taliban’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Why It's Important: Iran has been suspected of using the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee and other state-backed charities to promote its conservative brand of Shi’a Islam around the world.

The charities spread anti-Western propaganda and are seen to be tied to Tehran's long-standing effort to export the Islamic Revolution. Many of the charities build schools and mosques and help the poor.

An extremist Sunni militant group, the Taliban has imposed increasing restrictions on Afghanistan’s Shi’ite minority, which makes up around 15 percent of the population. The Taliban has prevented Afghan Shi’a from marking important religious holidays and banned the teaching of Shi'a jurisprudence in universities in Afghanistan.

The closure of the offices of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee is likely an attempt by the Taliban to curb Iran’s influence in Afghanistan. It also comes amid tensions between the Taliban and Iran over cross-border water resources. Following deadly border clashes in May, the Taliban and Tehran have traded threats and accusations.

What's Next: With tensions still high between the sides, the Taliban and Iran are likely to engage in tit-for-tat moves.

In recent months, the authorities in Iran have intensified the deportation of Afghan refugees and migrants and imposed more restrictions on Afghan nationals living in the Islamic republic.

In retaliation, the Taliban could target more Iranian organizations and activities in Afghanistan.

What To Keep An Eye On

The Taliban has shut down three local media outlets -- Hamisha Bahar Radio and Television, Radio Nan, and Radio Jawanan -- in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Taliban fighters stormed the studios of Hamisha Bahar Radio and Television on July 31 after the media outlet provided journalism training for young Afghans, including girls, according to an employee who spoke to RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity.

The employee said Taliban fighters beat the reporters and sealed the studios of the station.

Why It's Important: Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban has waged a brutal crackdown on independent reporters and media outlets.

The militants have beaten and jailed reporters and forcibly closed down scores of radio and TV stations as well as newspapers. In its attempts to crush dissent, the Taliban has also targeted human rights defenders, women activists, and intellectuals.

Cases of arbitrary arrests and detention, threats, and intimidation of journalists have sharply increased during the past year.

The Taliban has also severely restricted female education and banned co-education.

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,

Frud Bezhan

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.

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

The Taliban created a special commission last year to help convince exiled former officials from the deposed Western-backed Afghan government to return to their homeland.

A spokesman for the commission this month claimed that more than 600 political figures, ex-officials, and other prominent Afghans who were promised amnesty had returned to Afghanistan since March 2022.

But dozens of returnees told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that they left Afghanistan again over their disillusionment with the Taliban and fears for their safety.

Janat Fahim Chakari, the head of the private Karwan University in Kabul, said he left the country after receiving "many threats." "Unfortunately, we were not treated well" by the Taliban, he said.

Meanwhile, Lal Mohammad Gharibzadeh, a local anti-Taliban leader in northern Afghanistan who had returned to the country, was killed by unidentified gunmen last month. Gharibzadeh's relatives, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, suspect that he was targeted by the Taliban.

Why It's Important: The Taliban appears to be using the return of former Afghan officials for propaganda purposes. Many of the homecomings have been heavily publicized, with Taliban officials meeting the returnees at the airport and taking photos with them.

Observers have said the militant group wants to boost its internal legitimacy and show that it is inclusive.

Yet, the extremist group has monopolized power, sidelining many ethnic and political groups as well as women since forcibly seizing control of Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban's theocratic government remains unrecognized and appears to have little support among Afghans.

The Taliban has shown no signs that it is willing to form an inclusive government or accept any political opposition to its rule.

What's Next: More prominent Afghans who have returned to their homeland are likely to leave the country again amid concerns over their safety and mounting Taliban repression.

Zarifa Ghafari, a former mayor, is the only prominent Afghan female political figure who has returned to the country since the Taliban takeover. But she left Afghanistan soon after arriving and has since criticized the Taliban.

What To Keep An Eye On

Authorities in Iran's western province of Kermanshah have imposed new restrictions on Afghan migrants.

Hamzeh Soleimani, a local official, was quoted as saying that Afghans would no longer be allowed to live or work in the province as of August 10. He said any Iranian employers who violated the order would be punished.

It is unclear how many Afghans will be affected by the order in Kermanshah. Iranian officials have not specified the reasons for the move.

Why It's Important: The new rules in Kermanshah are the latest restrictions imposed on members of Iran's large Afghan community, many of whom have complained of widespread discrimination and abuse.

An estimated 3 million Afghans, many of them undocumented refugees and migrants, live in Iran. Over 1 million Afghan have arrived in Iran following the Taliban takeover, although Tehran is believed to have deported more than half of the recent arrivals.

Afghans in the Islamic republic say they have come under growing pressure from the authorities amid rising tensions between Iran and the Taliban over cross-border water resources.

In May, authorities in Iran's southwestern province of Fars banned retail stores and grocery shops from employing foreigners, including Afghans, as salespeople and shop assistants.

Juma Gul, an Afghan migrant who lived and worked in Fars, said he was arrested by police at his workplace and deported from Iran. "They beat us and said, 'your government does not give us water,'" he told Radio Azadi. "They treated us with cruelty and disrespect."

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.