By Michael Scollon of RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi | – ( RFE/RL – Radio Azadi) – Hundreds of school-aged girls in Afghanistan are getting around the Taliban’s efforts to stymie their education by going online, giving them the opportunity to continue to learn everything from computer programming to sculpting to yoga psychotherapy. “It sends a clear […]
Hacked Videos Force The Unthinkable In Iran: Official Admission Of Abuses At Evin Prison
( RFE/RL ) – Former inmates, their families, and human rights activists have long complained of mistreatment and torture at Evin prison, a notorious facility in Tehran that is a primary site for political detainees. Regular detainees, as well as surviving political prisoners and other perceived enemies of Iran’s postrevolutionary regime, have alleged torture and […]
‘Ready To Resist,’ Residents Of Last Anti-Taliban Stronghold, Panjshir, Brace For Uncertain Future
By Farangis Najibullah | – ( RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi) – As Afghanistan’s last major bastion of anti-Taliban resistance gears up for new fighting against the hard-line Islamist group, there has been an outpouring of support for the effort from residents of the Panjshir Valley. But they are also concerned about the prospect of a prolonged […]
Who’s Who In The Taliban: The Men Who Run The Extremist Group And How They Operate
By Ron Synovitz | – This piece from August 6, 2021, before they took over Afghanistan, is a very useful overview of Taliban leadership and I thought it well worth reprinting here. ( RFE/RL – Radio Azadi ) – With the Taliban in control … of all districts in Afghanistan, promises made by Taliban political […]
‘Hopeless And Dissatisfied’: Growing Anger At Iranian Officials As Khuzestan Water Protests Spread
By Golnaz Esfandiari and Mohammad Zarghami | – ( RFE/RL) – Analysts say economic desperation and growing frustration in Iranian society have led to angry demonstrations around the country that began with people protesting water shortages in the southwestern province of Khuzestan. “If the society wasn’t hopeless, it wouldn’t take to the streets. It wouldn’t […]
China Cautiously Eyes New Regional Leadership Role As Afghanistan Fighting Intensifies
By Reid Standish | – ( RFE/RL ) – As the security situation in Afghanistan worsens, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has begun a high-profile tour of Central Asia that analysts say is an effort by Beijing to boost its interests in the region. The weeklong visit to Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan comes as the […]
With Huge Iran Deal, China Hopes Deep Pockets Further Boost Influence In Middle East
By Reid Standish | – Beijing has inked a sweeping 25-year investment deal with Iran that could see China’s economic, political, and military influence there and across the Middle East expand. ( RFE/RL) – China and Iran signed the expansive deal during a ceremony in Tehran on March 27 between their respective foreign ministers, Mohammad […]
How Will Biden Change U.S. Policy On Russia, Iran?
By Todd Prince | – ( RFE/RL) – As a candidate, Joe Biden said he would reverse many of the foreign-policy initiatives of the Trump administration, such as withdrawing the United States from international agreements, and work to repair the transatlantic relationship that he contends has been the key to stability in Europe over the […]
Watchdog Describes Iran’s ‘Shocking’ Rights Violations against Protesters
By Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty | – (RFE/RL ) – Amnesty International has accused Iran of committing “a catalogue of shocking human rights violations” against those detained in connection with the November 2019 antiestablishment protests, including children as young as 10. The violent demonstrations were sparked by a sudden hike in the price of […]
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