Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.
I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent 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 has threatened Afghan women who served in the police force under the previous Western-backed government, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The threats have forced hundreds of former Afghan policewomen, who were trained by the United States and its allies, to go into hiding, the global rights watchdog said.
HRW said some of the women have received threatening phone calls from Taliban officials who summoned them for questioning or warned them of unspecified consequences for their previous work.
Under the Taliban, some former policewomen in the culturally and religiously conservative country have been apparently killed by their own relatives for bringing “shame” to the families, HRW said.
Many former policewomen have sought refuge in neighboring Iran or Pakistan, or tried to obtain asylum in the West.
Why It's Important: HRW’s report highlights the dangers facing members of Afghanistan’s former armed forces.
After seizing power in 2021, the Taliban announced a blanket amnesty that included all Afghan officials, security forces, and individuals who cooperated with the departed U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan.
But international rights watchdogs and the United Nations have documented widespread cases of retribution -- including extrajudicial killings and torture.
Before the Taliban takeover, Afghan policewomen suffered widespread sexual abuse and harassment, HRW said.
Afghan policewomen have been “doubly betrayed,” first by the former Afghan government and then by Western nations that ignored the abuse and have not granted them asylum, said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at HRW.
What's Next: HRW has called on Western nations that helped train and hire former Afghan policewomen, including the United States, to resettle them.
But it is unclear if the United States and European countries are willing or able to grant asylum to the women, some of whom remain inside Afghanistan.
What To Keep An Eye On
Germany has announced that it is planning to deport more Afghans to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told parliament on October 9 that Afghans convicted of serious crimes in Germany would be deported.
In August, Berlin deported 28 Afghan citizens for the first time since the Taliban takeover. The authorities said all were convicted criminals, although they did not disclose their crimes.
Why It's Important: Germany has granted asylum to tens of thousands of at-risk Afghans in recent years.
But Berlin has tightened the country's asylum policies as anti-immigration parties rise in popularity.
Germany’s announcement of more deportations has fueled panic among the country's large Afghan community -- which numbers around 475,000. Many Afghans fear they could be next.
“I am apprehensive about this unfolding situation,” an Afghan asylum seeker in Germany, speaking on condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.
“We all should not be punished for the mistakes of individuals,” said another asylum seeker.
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,
Abubakar Siddique
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