NRF Delegation Heads to Washington Without Its Leader

The organisation, based in Norway, released a report on Tuesday, September 3, stating that among the executed were 11 Afghan citizens, eight Baluch citizens, and nine Kurdish citizens.

According to the statistics, the number of executions carried out by the Islamic Republic in the first eight months of this year has reached at least 402.

The report indicated that 50 of those executed were convicted of "premeditated murder," while 46 were executed on drug-related charges. Three individuals were accused of rape, and one political prisoner was sentenced to death for allegedly killing a security officer.

The Iran Human Rights Organisation emphasised that executions in the country have intensified following the recent presidential election in Iran.

The organisation reiterated its call for a global response to the wave of executions in Iran. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the organisation's director, stated, "The execution of at least 100 people in just one month should prompt a strong international reaction."

He further highlighted that the victims of the Islamic Republic's execution machine are often the most vulnerable members of society, stating, "These individuals are killed without fair trials, aimed at instilling fear in the community. People, human rights organisations, and the international community must use protests, condemnation, and political pressure to raise the cost for the regime."

According to the report, one of those executed was Reza Rasaei, a Kurdish protester who was arrested during the 2022 protests. He was sentenced to death without access to a fair trial, based on confessions extracted under torture and solely on the judge's discretion.

The report also confirmed that one of the individuals was hanged in public, which had not occurred in the past eight months.

The Iran Human Rights Organisation noted that only six of the 100 executions carried out in the past month (six percent) were reported by official Iranian media.

This report comes a day after UN experts expressed concern over the increasing number of executions in Iran. The UN experts, in their statement, called on the Islamic Republic to immediately halt the execution of individuals facing such punishment.

The statement revealed that at least 81 people were executed in Iran in August 2024, a significant rise from the 45 executions reported in July.

The UN experts stressed that "reports of serious violations of the right to a fair trial mean that the death penalty, as currently applied in the Islamic Republic of Iran, is unlawful."

They also noted that security-related charges with vague definitions, such as armed rebellion, spreading corruption on earth, and waging war against God or apostasy, do not meet the criteria for the "most serious crimes" under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and have, in several cases, led to the execution of regime opponents, which clearly violates international standards.

According to Uzbek media, the meeting will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, aiming to strengthen regional security cooperation.

This marks the 10th regional anti-terrorism conference under the SCO and the second such meeting under the CIS.

Reports indicate that representatives from the United Nations and Interpol will also participate in the event.

The agenda includes discussions on "challenges in combating terrorism and extremism”. The conference will also aim to exchange best practices, develop measures for enhancing international cooperation, and create a unified approach to counter-terrorism.
Since the Taliban's return to power, many countries in the region have expressed concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

In March this year, the SCO urged the Taliban to uphold their commitments to counter-terrorism, particularly by addressing groups that threaten member states' security.

The organisation identified "terrorist groups based in Afghanistan" as a significant threat to the safety of its members.

The SCO's members include China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan.

According to sources, the individual, identified as Hussain Rizwani, was a former commando who had taken up farming after the fall of the previous government.

The sources said Rizwani was killed by Taliban forces on Monday evening, September 4, while they were searching for members of the National Resistance Front (NRF) in the area.

Family members of the former soldier stated that after the Taliban's return to power, he led a peaceful life, working as a farmer in his village and had no affiliations with any anti-Taliban groups.

Currently, Rizwani's body remains in a hospital in Takhar, and the Taliban is yet to return it to his family.

The incident occurred after members of the NRF attacked Taliban intelligence forces near the Gawmali street on the Takhar-Badakhshan highway, resulting in the deaths of two Taliban fighters and several others being wounded. One of those killed was reportedly Qari Jalal Ayubi, according to sources.

Following the attack, the Taliban conducted a search operation to locate the attackers, during which Rizwani was shot dead in Ganj Ali village. The sources insist that the former commando had no involvement in the NRF’s attack.
The Taliban has not yet commented on the incident.

General Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon spokesperson, told Afghanistan International that Washington will take appropriate measures to counter this threat.

On Tuesday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide attack targeting employees of the Directorate of Monitoring and Enforcement of Taliban Decrees (formerly the Attorney General's Office) in Kabul. ISIS claimed that more than 45 people were killed and injured in the attack.

According to the Taliban's Ministry of Interior, at least six people, including one woman, were killed, and 13 others were wounded in the incident.

ISIS stated that its suicide bomber waited for employees to exit through the main gate before detonating his explosive vest.

In a press conference in Washington, the Pentagon spokesperson emphasised that ISIS remains a threat, “whether it’s ISIS-K or its other branches”. He further added that the United States, in collaboration with its allies and partners, will take the necessary actions to address this threat.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the US Department of Defence had stated that the US would strike ISIS-K if it perceives an "imminent threat" from the group.

General Ryder also noted that if pressure on ISIS is reduced, they could regain strength. He also commented on the situation in Syria and Iraq, saying that although ISIS is not as powerful as it was ten years ago, the threat posed by the group must be taken seriously.

According to the Taliban, the Azerbaijani official expressed the country’s readiness to activate the Lapis Lazuli Corridor to boost trade relations with Afghanistan and the wider region.

In a statement from the Economic Affairs Office of the Taliban’s leadership, the meeting between Baradar and the Azerbaijani Prime Minister took place on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the "Termez International Trade Centre" in Uzbekistan.

The reactivation of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor was a key topic during the discussions between the Azerbaijani official and the Taliban representatives.

The Lapis Lazuli Corridor is a land route connecting Afghanistan to Turkmenistan through the Torghundi and Aqina ports, and onwards to the Turkmenbashi port in Turkmenistan. The Lapis Lazuli agreement was signed in 2018 by five countries, linking Afghanistan through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia to Turkey.

The statement also mentioned Azerbaijan's interest in increasing exports and imports with Afghanistan, as well as investing in the establishment of industrial factories in the country. Azerbaijan also expressed interest in Afghanistan's mining sector.