Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan Rises by 19% Despite Taliban Ban, UNODC Report Reveals

The organisation wrote that the prisoners had been sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic's judiciary on charges of murder and drug offences.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported on Wednesday, November 6, that the Islamic Republic authorities carried out the death sentences of these prisoners at the Isfahan Central Prison on Saturday morning, November 2. The organisation identified the executed Afghan as Moavin Mir Jahani and said that he was 40 years old.

According to Iran Human Rights, Moavin Mir Jahani was arrested and sentenced to death on charges of "drug trafficking and carrying weapons”.

Earlier, Iran Human Rights announced on November 3 that executions of Afghans in Iran have increased since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, and that 90 Afghans have been executed in the country since 2022. In the past month alone, 13 Afghans have been executed in Iran on various charges, the organisation said.

The Iran Human Rights Organisation said that the execution of prisoners convicted on drug-related charges has increased steadily over the past four years, every year.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to carry out the death sentences of prisoners despite strong opposition from international human rights organisations.

The court said that the defendants were sentenced to three years in prison and sentenced to 39 lashes.

The Taliban's Supreme Court announced in a statement on Wednesday, November 6, that the two defendants were sentenced to flogging in the presence of local officials, court clients, and the general public.

On Tuesday, November 5, the Taliban's Supreme Court announced the flogging of at least 27 people in Kabul, Maidan Wardak, Paktika, and Jawzjan provinces.

According to reports from the Taliban's Supreme Court, the group has publicly flogged more than 40 people in various provinces of Afghanistan in the past week.

This comes as international human rights organisations have repeatedly called on the Taliban to stop corporal punishment and torture of defendants. The Taliban, however, has continued to publicly punish the accused.

The Taliban consider the implementation of the public flogging sentence to be one of the orders of "Islamic Sharia".

These officials and leaders have expressed their readiness to work with Trump.

In his congratulatory message to Trump, European Council President Charles Michel said that the EU and the United States have an enduring alliance and a historic bond, and as allies and friends, the EU is eager to continue constructive cooperation with Washington.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Donald Trump on his victory, saying that the EU and the US are more than just ordinary allies. "We are bound by a true partnership between our people that unites 800 million citizens. Let's work together for a strong transatlantic agenda that benefits them all."

In a message, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called the United States one of the country's most important partners and stressed on his eagerness to strengthen ties with the new Trump administration.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu called Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election "historic" and said that the country is ready to strengthen strategic cooperation with the United States. "We hope that under your new leadership, peace and prosperity will be provided to all of our citizens," he added.

In his congratulatory message on Trump's victory on social media platform X, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote, "I look forward to working closely together on common interests between the United States and the Netherlands."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Rome and Washington are linked by an unwavering alliance, shared values and historical friendship. She added that with Trump's "good work," this strategic bond will be further strengthened.

However, the final results of the US elections have not yet been announced, and Donald Trump has declared himself the winner of the election in the last moments of the vote counting.

Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, said that gender apartheid in Afghanistan is a reality and that the "systematic discrimination" against Afghan women is unprecedented.

They expressed their concern about the growing restrictions on the media and women in Afghanistan on Tuesday in a meeting organised by the Dashty Foundation and the Free Speech Hub and hosted by the Canadian Parliament.

Referring to the situation of women in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban, Bob Rae, Canada's representative to the United Nations, said that there is no such systematic, brutal and complete discrimination against women anywhere in the world.

He said that what exists is "gender apartheid" quite clearly.

Jacqueline O'Neill, Canada's ambassador for women, peace and security, said that they will do everything in their power to hold the Taliban accountable for their actions. Referring to the joint decision of Canada, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands to take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice, O’Neill said that there is no immediate change in the situation.

Canada and other Western countries are critical of the Taliban which has not yet criminalised gender apartheid. Britain's ambassador and interim head of the Security Council said this week that the gender apartheid debate could divert attention from helping Afghan women.
The Canadian government has not yet officially announced whether it supports the criminalisation of gender apartheid and its recognition in Afghanistan or not.

In this meeting, Ali Ehsassi, a member of the Canadian Parliament, and Lotfullah Najafizada, the head of Amu TV, spoke about the sharp decline in media freedom in Afghanistan and said that Afghanistan has fallen from 121st to 178th in the global press freedom index over the past three years.

In this meeting, the release of imprisoned Afghan journalists was emphasised.
In the last three years, more than 300 journalists have been arrested, persecuted and tortured.

The participants asked Canada and other countries that support press freedom to support Afghan journalists by providing safety training for working in the current conditions of Afghanistan, supporting exiled media and journalists, pressuring the Taliban to release imprisoned journalists, and lifting restrictions on electronic media.

They also emphasised on the need to support Afghan journalists in Türkiye, Iran and Pakistan who are facing the threat of deportation.

Afghan journalists asked the representatives of these countries to stick to their principled position towards Afghanistan.

Decker asked for support for the media and journalists in Afghanistan.

The Chargé d'Affaires of the American Embassy in Afghanistan wrote on her Facebook page, “Access to information is a universal human right and is necessary for making informed decisions in all aspects of life."

Decker added, "Afghan journalists inform Afghan citizens all over the world. Journalists and media workers must be protected and able to work safely without fear of reprisals or intimidation."

Earlier, the US Embassy in Afghanistan said on the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists that Afghan journalists are facing threats, violence and intimidation.

This embassy demanded security and protection of journalists against these violence.

The Afghan Journalists Centre had announced that the Taliban has arrested at least 220 journalists in the last three years.
The centre added that during this period, it recorded 447 incidents of violation of the rights of journalists and media workers.