Latest news with #TALIBAN
Scottish Sun
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Elderly Brit couple held by Taliban ‘may die in Afghan prison' as mum is ‘numb' & dad ‘chained up in basement shaking'
The Taliban has rejected concerns about rights violations TALIBAN TERROR Elderly Brit couple held by Taliban 'may die in Afghan prison' as mum is 'numb' & dad 'chained up in basement shaking' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ELDERLY Brit couple wrongfully jailed by Taliban may die in prison soon, their children fear. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, were snatched by Taliban thugs and tossed into Afghanistan's most notorious prison nearly six months ago. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Peter and Barbie Reynolds were scooped up in February and thrown into a brutal prison Credit: Supplied 5 The couple moved to Afghanistan in 2009, where they run training project The parents-of-four had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years managing training projects - but were kidnapped on February 1 with no explanation. They were locked up separately at the maximum security Pul-e-Charkhi in Kabul, and later moved to an underground cell beneath the Taliban's intelligence HQ. Speaking to the BBC, their son Jonathan Reynolds said their health was rapidly deteriorating. According to UN experts, Peter needs heart medication and, during his detention, has had two eye infections and convulsions in his head and down his left arm. He recently collapsed, the experts added, while Barbie suffers from anaemia and remains weak. Jonathan said: "My dad's health is deteriorating fast. "Now he's maybe got something like early Parkinson's - tremors and shakes down the right side of his body, his arms and face." Peter had a mini stroke in 2023, and is thought to have suffered another one or a silent heart attack while being held prisoner. Barbie, meanwhile, is struggling with dizzy spells and numbness linked to anaemia - which can be caused by a lack of sunlight. "She has blue hands and feet to do with anaemia, malnutrition, just not getting the right healthcare," Jonathan added. I lived with Taliban for year secretly filming bloodthirsty terrorists' horror secrets… then orders were sent to kill me Alice Edwards, the UN's special rapporteur on torture, said: 'We see no reason why this elderly couple should be detained at all, and have requested an immediate review of the grounds of their detention. 'It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions and more worrying when their health is so fragile.' In April, Peter described the excruciating conditions as "the nearest thing to hell". In a phone recording heard by The Sunday Times, he said: 'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.' He continued: "The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. "The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. "It's a horrible atmosphere — the nearest thing to hell I can imagine." The Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected concerns about rights violations. 5 Faye Hall, the couple's interprator, was arrested with them but later released Credit: AP 5 Hall was received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul and confirmed to be in good health Credit: Reuters He said: They are in constant contact with their families [and] consular services are available. "Efforts are underway to secure their release. These steps have not yet been completed. Their human rights are being respected. "They are being given full access to treatment, contact and accommodation." He did not say what steps were being taken to secure their release. The Reynolds were some of the only foreigners not to leave Afghanistan when the Taliban seized back power four years ago. They had been living peaceful lives in the mountainous region of Bamain - famous for the giant Buddha statues blown up by the previous Taliban regime. Their family said they had never encountered any trouble from the regime since settling there in 2009. Last week was the pair's 55th wedding anniversary. Barbie told a Foreign Office official this week: 'We have been told we are guests of the government but this is no way to treat a guest." Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 along with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. The group was detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan. They bundled into vans and taken to separate parts of maximum-security Pul-e-Charki. On May 22 the couple were moved to the headquarters of the GDI — the General Directorate of Intelligence — and put in an underground cell. Although the couple are now together, they have had almost no access to phones since being moved. The last time their four children spoke to them was over a month ago. It was initially thought they had been arrested for teaching parenting skills to mothers. The Taliban later bizarrely claimed the arrest was due to a "misunderstanding" - though did not release them. Hall, their interpretor, was released on March 27 following a court order.
The Irish Sun
19-07-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Taliban ‘already murdering Afghans linked to foreign military' days after chilling warning over MoD ‘kill list' leak
THE TALIBAN are reportedly already murdering Afghans linked to foreign militaries - days after a huge MoD data leak. Fears have been growing over the safety of more than 18,000 Afghans whose details were included on the secret list. Advertisement 3 The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 Credit: Getty 3 Details of almost 20,000 refugees fleeing the Taliban were leaked after a top secret email was sent to the wrong person Credit: AP 3 A number of named individuals have already been assassinated Credit: AFP A number of named individuals have been assassinated since the leak with one man shot four times in the chest at close range on Monday one of three assassinations in the past week according to the It comes after the Taliban sent a fleeing the Taliban were leaked after a Royal Marine mistakenly sent a top secret email to the wrong people. Since then panic has been spreading as up to 100,000 could face deadly repercussions from ruthless Taliban rulers who hunt down and kill anyone who helped the UK forces. Advertisement Read more News But sources have insisted it was impossible to prove conclusively whether it was a direct result of the data breach. Afghans were informed on Tuesday that their personal details had been lost including names, phone numbers and their family's details as well as other details that could help the Taliban hunt them down. It is not yet known whether the Taliban is in possession of the database. It includes names of Afghans as well as the names of their individual UK sponsors including Major General. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Breaking Exclusive One Afghan soldier who fled to Britain in fear of retribution, believes his brother was shot in the street this week because the Taliban believed he was affiliated to the UK. "If or when the Taliban have this list, then killings will increase – and it will be Britain's fault," he said. Taliban warns thousands of Afghans secretly airlifted to UK 'we will HUNT you down' "There will be many more executions like the one on Monday." He is convinced his sibling was executed because of his own association with Afghan special forces, known as the Triples. Advertisement He believes that the Taliban sought revenge on his family instead as news of his brother's murder reached him in Britain within an hour of the execution. A day later, Taliban fighters dragged a woman from her home and beat her in the street. A former British military interpreter who witnessed the attack claimed it was because the woman's husband "worked for the West" and is now hiding in Iran. Taliban officials have claimed the details of all the refugees have been known to them since 2022, after they allegedly sourced the information from the internet. Advertisement A dossier listing more than 300 murders includes those who worked with the UK and some who had applied for the UK's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. This includes senior Afghan intelligence officer, Colonel Shafiq Ahmad Khan, a 61-year-old grandfather who had worked alongside British forces. He was shot in the heart on his doorstep in May 2022. There has been fury this week over the data breach's deadly implications with one angry former interpreter saying: "We risked our lives for the UK standing beside them day after day, now they are risking our lives again." Advertisement The epic MoD blunder was kept Top Secret for almost three years by a legal super injunction. And the government is still battling the courts to keep details behind the Afghan data leak secret. Thousands of the refugees had to be secretly relocated to the UK and it is set to cost Britain up to £7 billion. A total of 18,714 Afghans were included on the secret list, many of whom arrived via unmarked planes which landed at airport. Advertisement Many of the Afghans who were flown into the country as part of Operation Rubific were initially housed at MoD homes or hotels until permanent accommodation was found. Only around 10 to 15 per cent of the individuals on the list would have qualified for relocation under the emergency Afghan Relocation and Assistance Programme, known as ARAP, opened as Kabul fell to the But the leak means many more now have a valid claim for assistance and relocation.
Scottish Sun
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Taliban ‘already murdering Afghans linked to foreign military' days after chilling warning over MoD ‘kill list' leak
A number of named individuals have been killed since the leak Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE TALIBAN are reportedly already murdering Afghans linked to foreign militaries - days after a huge MoD data leak. Fears have been growing over the safety of more than 18,000 Afghans whose details were included on the secret list. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 Credit: Getty 3 Details of almost 20,000 refugees fleeing the Taliban were leaked after a top secret email was sent to the wrong person Credit: AP 3 A number of named individuals have already been assassinated Credit: AFP A number of named individuals have been assassinated since the leak with one man shot four times in the chest at close range on Monday one of three assassinations in the past week according to the Mail. It comes after the Taliban sent a chilling warning that it will hunt down thousands of Afghan refugees on a "kill list" after the UK's huge data breach. Details of almost 20,000 refugees fleeing the Taliban were leaked after a Royal Marine mistakenly sent a top secret email to the wrong people. Since then panic has been spreading as up to 100,000 could face deadly repercussions from ruthless Taliban rulers who hunt down and kill anyone who helped the UK forces. Read more News MONSTER'S SICK TAUNT Evil Soham murderer Ian Huntley sparks fury with vile victims taunt But sources have insisted it was impossible to prove conclusively whether it was a direct result of the data breach. Afghans were informed on Tuesday that their personal details had been lost including names, phone numbers and their family's details as well as other details that could help the Taliban hunt them down. It is not yet known whether the Taliban is in possession of the database. It includes names of Afghans as well as the names of their individual UK sponsors including SAS and MI6 spies and at least one Royal Marine Major General. One Afghan soldier who fled to Britain in fear of retribution, believes his brother was shot in the street this week because the Taliban believed he was affiliated to the UK. "If or when the Taliban have this list, then killings will increase – and it will be Britain's fault," he said. Taliban warns thousands of Afghans secretly airlifted to UK 'we will HUNT you down' "There will be many more executions like the one on Monday." He is convinced his sibling was executed because of his own association with Afghan special forces, known as the Triples. He believes that the Taliban sought revenge on his family instead as news of his brother's murder reached him in Britain within an hour of the execution. A day later, Taliban fighters dragged a woman from her home and beat her in the street. A former British military interpreter who witnessed the attack claimed it was because the woman's husband "worked for the West" and is now hiding in Iran. Taliban officials have claimed the details of all the refugees have been known to them since 2022, after they allegedly sourced the information from the internet. A dossier listing more than 300 murders includes those who worked with the UK and some who had applied for the UK's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. This includes senior Afghan intelligence officer, Colonel Shafiq Ahmad Khan, a 61-year-old grandfather who had worked alongside British forces. He was shot in the heart on his doorstep in May 2022. There has been fury this week over the data breach's deadly implications with one angry former interpreter saying: "We risked our lives for the UK standing beside them day after day, now they are risking our lives again." The epic MoD blunder was kept Top Secret for almost three years by a legal super injunction. And the government is still battling the courts to keep details behind the Afghan data leak secret. Thousands of the refugees had to be secretly relocated to the UK and it is set to cost Britain up to £7 billion. A total of 18,714 Afghans were included on the secret list, many of whom arrived via unmarked planes which landed at Stansted airport. Many of the Afghans who were flown into the country as part of Operation Rubific were initially housed at MoD homes or hotels until permanent accommodation was found. Only around 10 to 15 per cent of the individuals on the list would have qualified for relocation under the emergency Afghan Relocation and Assistance Programme, known as ARAP, opened as Kabul fell to the Taliban. But the leak means many more now have a valid claim for assistance and relocation.
News18
23-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
India, Pakistan, Iran Step Up Engagement as Taliban Courts Regional Recognition
Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has had an unusually busy calendar in recent weeks. He has hosted his counterpart from Pakistan, spoken on the phone with India's foreign minister, and flown to Iran and Beijing, he met the Pakistani foreign minister again and also joined trilateral talks with delegations from Pakistan and China. Analysts say that despite not being formally recognised by any nation, these moves show many want Taliban as a partner. Notably, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime has historically had tense relations with most of these countries. n18oc_world n18oc_crux0:00 INTRODUCTION2:44 WHY IS INDIA WOOING TALIBAN?4:36 PAKISTAN-TALIBAN TIES6:58 WHAT DOES IRAN WANT TO GAIN FROM ITS TIES WITH TALIBAN?8:52 TALIBAN PRAISES 'RATIONAL APPROACH' OF REGIONAL COUNTRIES
NDTV
15-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
In A First, S Jaishankar Speaks To Taliban Foreign Minister, Scripts History
New Delhi: Scripting a new chapter in regional dynamics, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke with the Taliban's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi over an official phone call. The call assumes significance as it is the first ministerial-level outreach by India to Afghanistan's Taliban administration. Dr Jaishankar's call to Mr Muttaqi comes days after Afghanistan's Taliban regime, which New Delhi is yet to officially recognise, condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians, all tourists, were killed by Pakistan-linked terrorists in a religiously-motivated attack in Jammu and Kashmir. 'MINISTERIAL-LEVEL TALKS - A FIRST WITH TALIBAN' In a post on social media platform X shortly after the phone call, Dr Jaishankar wrote, "Good conversation with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this evening. Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack." He added that during the discussion he "underlined our (India's) traditional friendship with the Afghan people and continuing support for their development needs. Discussed ways and means of taking cooperation forward." 'A REBUTTAL TO PAKISTAN' Countering Pakistan's false narrative of linking the Taliban to the incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Jaishankar wrote that he welcomed Mr Muttaqi's "firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports" in the Pakistani media. Good conversation with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this evening. Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Welcomed his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and… — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 15, 2025 'IMPORTANCE OF IRAN'S CHABAHAR PORT' According to Taliban's Director of Communication Hafiz Zia Ahmad, during the call, Mr Muttaqi asked Dr Jaishankar to provide more visas to Afghan nationals, especially to those seeking medical attention. He mentioned that talks regarding trade and development of the Chabahar Port in Iran were also discussed. د ا.ا.ا. د بهرنیو چارو وزیر محترم مولوي امیر خان متقي او د هند جمهوریت د بهرنیو چارو وزیر ښاغلي جې شنکر ټيلیفوني خبرې وکړې. په دې مکالمه کې د دوو اړخیزو اړیکو پر پیاوړتیا، تجارت او د دیپلوماتیکو اړیکو د کچې پر لوړولو خبرې وشوې. — Hafiz Zia Ahmad (@HafizZiaAhmad) May 15, 2025 او ناروغانو ته د هند د ویزو په ورکړه کې د اسانتیاوو او په هند کې د افغان بندیانو د خلاصېدو او هیواد ته د راستنولو غوښتنه وکړه. د هند د بهرنیو چارو وزیر ښاغلي جې شنکر هم له افغانستان سره د هند اړیکې تاریخي وبللې او زیاته یې کړه، چې هېواد به يې له افغانستان سره خپلو همکاریو ته... — Hafiz Zia Ahmad (@HafizZiaAhmad) May 15, 2025 This assumes importance at a time when India and Pakistan have completely ended all trade ties and closed its border posts in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. Being a land-locked country, Afghanistan feels the impact, as it depends on land routes via Pakistan to reach India. India and Afghanistan share a land border too, but that has remained cut-off by Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or PoK since 1947. The only other option for trade is via the Chabahar Port in Iran. 'FOSTERING TIES WITH THE TALIBAN' India and the Taliban administration have been taking steps to strengthen ties since August 2021, when the regime came to power after US' withdrawal from Afghanistan. Over the years, a series of meetings between Indian diplomats and Taliban officials have worked towards broader cooperation between the two countries which have shared historic ties. Though ties have not yet normalised, India's policy towards Afghanistan under the Taliban regime has been focused on providing humanitarian aid and the well-being of Afghan citizens. Diplomatic initiatives have also been ongoing towards bringing normalcy to ties. As recently as April 27 this year, days after the Pahalgam terror attack, senior Indian diplomat Anand Prakash visited Kabul as tensions peaked between New Delhi and Islamabad over "cross-border terror links". Mr Prakash held a meeting with Mr Muttaqi during the visit. 'DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENTS' Other key visits by senior Indian diplomats include those by Mr JP Singh, who visited Afghanistan twice last year - in March to meet acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and in November to meet the acting defence minister Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid. Both meetings happened in Kabul. Besides the meetings in Afghanistan, a high-level meeting also took place in Dubai in January this year, when foreign secretary Vikram Misri, along with an Indian delegation met Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and an Afghan delegation. The two leaders held wide-ranging bilateral talks, including the Chabahar Port. The meeting in Dubai was aimed at bolstering cooperation over humanitarian aid, developmental assistance, trade, commerce, sports, cultural ties, regional security, and projects of national interest. 'CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES' In recent times, the Government of India has also permitted the Taliban to gradually take control of the Afghan missions in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad in order to provide consular services to its nationals in India and assist those coming from Afghanistan to India on business or to study or get medical attention. In terms of humanitarian aid, New Delhi has so far dispatched several shipments consisting of more than 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat, 300 tonnes of medicines, 27 tonnes of earthquake relief aid, 40,000 litres of pesticides, 100 million polio doses, 1.5 million doses of the Covid vaccine, 11,000 units of hygiene kits for the drug de-addiction programme, 500 units of winter clothing and 1.2 tonnes of stationery kits, over the past few years.
