Latest news with #Western-backed
NBC News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Taliban tortured and threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran, U.N. report says
The Taliban have tortured and threatened Afghans forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan because of their identity or personal history, a U.N. report said Thursday. Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans who they say are living in their countries illegally. Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban seized power in 2021. But rights groups and the U.N. have repeatedly warned that some of those returning are at risk of persecution because of their gender, links to the former Western-backed administration or profession. Thursday's report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said some people have experienced serious human rights violations, while others have gone into hiding or relocated for fear of Taliban reprisal. The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report. A former government official told the U.N. mission that, after his return to Afghanistan in 2023, he was detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables. He was waterboarded and subjected to a mock execution. A non-binary person said they were beaten severely, including with the back of a gun. Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said nobody should be sent back to a country where they faced the risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. This was even more pronounced for Afghan women and girls, who were subjected to a range of measures "amounting to persecution based on their gender alone," he added. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan girls and women, cutting off education beyond sixth grade, most employment and access to many public spaces. Responding to the report, Taliban authorities denied mistreating Afghan returnees and rejected allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation or retaliation against people because of their identity or personal history. Afghans returning from neighboring countries were provided with facilities related to documentation, transportation, resettlement, and other legal support, they said, while the Interior Ministry provides a "warm welcome." They called on the U.N. mission to prevent forced deportations, adding the United Nations as a whole "should not hesitate" in providing basic needs to refugees, such as food, medicine, shelter and education. Afghans who left their homeland in the millions over the decades are either being pushed out in expulsion campaigns, like those in Iran and Pakistan, or face an uncertain future because of reduced support for refugees. On Monday, thousands of Afghans in the U.S. lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone U.S. President Donald Trump administration's decision to end their legal status. Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. But groups helping Afghans with this status say the country is still extremely dangerous. The Trump administration's January suspension of a refugee program has left thousands of Afghans stranded, particularly in Pakistan, and a travel ban on Afghans has further diminished their hopes of resettlement in the U.S.
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Taliban tortured Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran, UN says
The Taliban have tortured and threatened Afghan nationals who were forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan because of their identity or personal history, a UN report said on Thursday. Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans who they say are living in their countries illegally. Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. But rights groups and the UN have repeatedly warned that some of those returning are at risk of persecution because of their gender, profession or links to the former Western-backed administration. Thursday's report from the UN mission in Afghanistan said some people have experienced serious human rights violations, while others have gone into hiding or relocated for fear of Taliban reprisal. The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report. A former government official told the UN mission that, after his return to Afghanistan in 2023, he was detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables. He was waterboarded and subjected to a mock execution. A non-binary person said they were beaten severely, including with the back of a gun. Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said nobody should be sent back to a country where they face the risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. This was even more pronounced for Afghan women and girls, who were subjected to a range of measures "amounting to persecution based on their gender alone," he added. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan girls and women, cutting off access to education beyond the age of 12, most employment and access to many public spaces. Responding to the report, Taliban authorities denied mistreating Afghan returnees and rejected allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation or retaliation against people because of their identity or personal history. Afghans returning from neighbouring countries were provided with facilities related to documentation, transportation, resettlement, and other legal support, they said, while the Interior Ministry provides a "warm welcome." They called on the UN mission to prevent forced deportations, adding the United Nations as a whole 'should not hesitate' in providing basic needs to refugees, such as food, medicine, shelter and education. An uncertain future Afghans who left their homeland in the millions over the decades are either being pushed out in expulsion campaigns, like those in Iran and Pakistan, or face an uncertain future because of reduced support for refugees. On Monday, thousands of Afghans in the US lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone US President Donald Trump administration's decision to end their legal status. US Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. But groups helping Afghans with this status say the country is still extremely dangerous. The Trump administration's suspension of a refugee programme in January has left thousands of Afghans stranded, particularly in Pakistan, and a travel ban on Afghans has further diminished their hopes of resettlement in the US.
Courier-Mail
6 hours ago
- Business
- Courier-Mail
Aussie tourist shares Bingin horror: 'They started knocking our hotel down while I was in it'
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Sledgehammers are piercing the air in Bingin, Uluwatu's hippie sister. This beloved beachy community, known for its boho vibes, clifftop shacks, sprawling homestays and local warungs sits just north of Uluwatu. Though it has become more busy in the last twenty years, it's still less busy than Uluwatu, which has beach clubs, luxury hotels and now plans for a great big road carved into the cliff. Bingin is also home to one of the most mesmerising waves in the world. Bingin is one of the easiest barrels on the planet, and because of this it draws thousands of surfers every year to try their luck at it. However, this week authorities started demolishing more than 45 "illegal" businesses on the cliffside. This includes a mix of Western-backed joints and locally-run places that have been passed down the generations since the 1980s - from restaurants and bars to homestays and villas. Footage has emerged of demolition crews smashing down local bars with hammers (parts of the cliff are too steep for bulldozers) as distraught employees look on. As for the tourist experience on the ground, one Aussie surfer in Bali told Escape (under the condition of anonymity for fear of deportation) he was in a hotel with his partner when demolition began. "I was in the first hotel they targeted. No warning they just started knocking down and breaking sh*t while I was in it with my fiance." See also: Incredible photos show what Bali was like in the 1980s Eviction notices were sent a month ago, but due to their strange request that business owners tear their own joints down, locals hoped it was just bluster. Turns out it wasn't. X Learn More SUBSCRIBER ONLY After a few weeks of social media outrage, online petitions and community protest, the Badung Regency Government ignored business-owners' pleas and gave the green light to the demolition crew. Aside from devastating the local culture and economy, this has sparked outrage among surfers all over the world. 11-time world champion Kelly Slater said on Instagram that this detracts from "the culture and beauty of what attracted everyone there in the first place.' Bingin has one of the best waves in the world. Picture: iStock. Mr Slater also said: 'Awful to hear and see that the beachfront at Bingin in Bali has been bought up and all the local (eateries) and other businesses will be demolished to make room for some kind of beach club and not sure what else?' 'Bali has been completely mishandled and ruined by foreign interests in recent years." Bingin Beach is only reachable via super steep staircases plunging and weaving down through the cliffside buildings that are being demolished, so the state of future beach access is unclear, reports. There has been much social media protest, so far to no avail. Pictures via Instagram (@savebinginbeach and @niluhdjelantik) Social media account Uluwatu Community, which is protesting the demolition, also raised the question: 'Rumours are spreading: is this really about law enforcement or about clearing prime land for bigger investors with deeper pockets?' 'It seems the idea of an 'undeveloped' cliff no longer fits into certain visions for the future.' It also said that Bingin residents and business owners have hired lawyers hinting that a legal battle may just be getting going. Social media account Save Bingin Beach wrote: "Why doesn't the government take the side of the locals? Why are family-run warungs and small businesses being destroyed while money-hungry beach clubs are allowed to stay?" They added: "Why does Bingin's natural beauty have to be sacrificed just to make room for unnecessary developments? This isn't progress – it's greed." See also: This once-secret Bali beach is about to get a glass elevator, and tourists are furious Aussie travellers are now scuttling to find new accommodation, with one holidaymaker posting on Facebook: "If you have accommodation on the beachfront / cliff in Bingin I urge you to contact them… hotel / villa owners are dealing with a lot at the moment and some are not being proactive in contacting their guests to let them know they will not be able to stay there…" Bali surf shop @ mourned the demolition on Instagram. Others warned of similar things happening to them in the past at other locations in Bali. "Be careful" one Facebook user wrote in a Bali tourist community page. "We bought really nice accommodation to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, got to the resort and the pathway was being built on the beach at Seminyak. No access to the beach at all and the noise kept us awake all night every night!!!" Others guessed authorities were: "Making way for the next new concrete monster" like they did in Dreamland (another nearby beach). "I remember when Dreamland was really a dream in 2007," another Facebook user wrote. "Small local warungs near the shore, in front of a beautiful big wave breaking outside on a big swell and when the tide was low. I really miss so much that little piece of heart." Aussies have also been warned to let the local community do its thing and not get involved, as foreigners caught protesting in Indonesia risk two weeks in jail followed by immediate deportation and a ban from the country. Should a big development now pop up in this prime piece of real estate it could hardly be considered a coincidence. As surf magazine Stab points out, ownership of nearly all of the Bukit has emerged in an informal and at times legally-ambiguous fashion. So why single out Bingin? Stab reports: "The developers lean heavily on the thin reed that these businesses are violating spatial planning laws and building regs. In plain terms: the land families have occupied, built homes and businesses on for generations, back when Bingin was still jungle, is officially not theirs. It's always belonged to the state. The government, after decades of apparent disinterest, has decided to enforce that technicality." Bingin locals like Mega Semadhi have urged the government to involve the community in the reshaping of the land - or at least keep the land a truly protected green zone. "I realise coastal land belongs to the state," Semadhi said. "But these buildings have been standing since the 1970s, long before current laws and regulations existed." "For years, they've been trying to engage in dialogue, urging the government to regulate development to prevent excessive growth and maintain Bingin's authenticity. But this is the result: unilateral evictions, with no real protection for the local community." "If demolition must be done, I beg you: Give the Bingin community the opportunity to collaborate with the banjar/traditional village/government agency to continue managing this area, as they are the ones who have developed, maintained, and made Bingin known internationally." "Or, if not, make Bingin a truly protected green zone. Let only coconut and pandanus trees grow, not the new beach clubs that are mushrooming in Bali." "Bali is Island of the Gods not Island of Beach Club," he added. Footage of locals and tourists gathering together for one last time to watch the sunset yesterday before yet more demolition occurs provided a shred of hope for some. Lucky Fish Lounge, a Bingin bar, posted the following from @tropicamuse on Instagram: "A day after the demolitions began, I walked down to the beach. I wasn't sure what to expect. But what I found surprised me: Locals had gathered for a sacred ceremony - not to celebrate, but to pray, to hold on, to hope for the best." "Tourists, too, had come - maybe for one last time, to sit, to watch the sunset, to soak in the beauty before it's gone. Yes, some businesses are already leaving. Furniture being carried out. Doors closing. Others are staying, still hoping, still standing." "Traces of demolition are there. But so is the beauty. So is the spirit. If this place means something to you - go. Support the local businesses while they're still standing. Let the memory stay with you." The fight to reverse the decision (or at least involve the local community more in its transformation) is apparently ongoing. The petition to save Bingin from forced demolition has 18,141 signatures and counting at the time of writing, and can be signed here. The petition page claims that reports that local businesses are unwilling to pay local government taxes are inaccurate and says: "On the contrary, local businesses have demonstrated a high level of cooperation and a willingness to comply with all applicable requirements." According to the petition page, the local government has not issued the necessary permits to allow these businesses to register and fulfill their local tax obligations. "Meanwhile," the petition page alleges, "a well-known property developer and operator of one of Canggu's most famous beach clubs has begun promoting property investment opportunities using the image of Bingin Beach, despite the lack of official development approval, let alone consultation with the local community." Originally published as 'They knocked the hotel down while I was inside': Aussie tourists reeling as Bali hotspot destroyed
6 hours ago
- Politics
Taliban tortured, threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran, UN report says
ISLAMABAD -- The Taliban have tortured and threatened Afghans forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan because of their identity or personal history, a U.N. report said Thursday. Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans who they say are living in their countries illegally. Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban seized power in 2021. But rights groups and the U.N. have repeatedly warned that some of those returning are at risk of persecution because of their gender, links to the former Western-backed administration or profession. Thursday's report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said some people have experienced serious human rights violations, while others have gone into hiding or relocated for fear of Taliban reprisal. The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report. A former government official told the U.N. mission that, after his return to Afghanistan in 2023, he was detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables. He was waterboarded and subjected to a mock execution. A non-binary person said they were beaten severely, including with the back of a gun. Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said nobody should be sent back to a country where they faced the risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. This was even more pronounced for Afghan women and girls, who were subjected to a range of measures 'amounting to persecution based on their gender alone,' he added. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan girls and women, cutting off education beyond sixth grade, most employment and access to many public spaces. Responding to the report, Taliban authorities denied mistreating Afghan returnees and rejected allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation or retaliation against people because of their identity or personal history. Afghans returning from neighboring countries were provided with facilities related to documentation, transportation, resettlement, and other legal support, they said, while the Interior Ministry provides a 'warm welcome.' They called on the U.N. mission to prevent forced deportations, adding the United Nations as a whole 'should not hesitate' in providing basic needs to refugees, such as food, medicine, shelter and education. Afghans who left their homeland in the millions over the decades are either being pushed out in expulsion campaigns, like those in Iran and Pakistan, or face an uncertain future because of reduced support for refugees. On Monday, thousands of Afghans in the U.S. lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone U.S. President Donald Trump administration's decision to end their legal status. Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. But groups helping Afghans with this status say the country is still extremely dangerous.
Japan Today
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Taliban tortured and threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran, UN report says
FILE -A Taliban fighter stands on a hill overlooking a camp housing Afghan refugees who have been repatriated from Pakistan, near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, in Torkham, Afghanistan, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File) The Taliban have tortured and threatened Afghans forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan because of their identity or personal history, a U.N. report said Thursday. Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans who they say are living in their countries illegally. Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban seized power in 2021. But rights groups and the U.N. have repeatedly warned that some of those returning are at risk of persecution because of their gender, links to the former Western-backed administration or profession. Thursday's report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said some people have experienced serious human rights violations, while others have gone into hiding or relocated for fear of Taliban reprisal. The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report. A former government official told the U.N. mission that, after his return to Afghanistan in 2023, he was detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables. He was waterboarded and subjected to a mock execution. A non-binary person said they were beaten severely, including with the back of a gun. Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said nobody should be sent back to a country where they faced the risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. This was even more pronounced for Afghan women and girls, who were subjected to a range of measures 'amounting to persecution based on their gender alone,' he added. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan girls and women, cutting off education beyond sixth grade, most employment and access to many public spaces. Responding to the report, Taliban authorities denied mistreating Afghan returnees and rejected allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation or retaliation against people because of their identity or personal history. Afghans returning from neighboring countries were provided with facilities related to documentation, transportation, resettlement, and other legal support, they said, while the Interior Ministry provides a 'warm welcome.' They called on the U.N. mission to prevent forced deportations, adding the United Nations as a whole 'should not hesitate' in providing basic needs to refugees, such as food, medicine, shelter and education. Afghans who left their homeland in the millions over the decades are either being pushed out in expulsion campaigns, like those in Iran and Pakistan, or face an uncertain future because of reduced support for refugees. On Monday, thousands of Afghans in the U.S. lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone U.S. President Donald Trump administration's decision to end their legal status. Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. But groups helping Afghans with this status say the country is still extremely dangerous. The Trump administration's January suspension of a refugee program has left thousands of Afghans stranded, particularly in Pakistan, and a travel ban on Afghans has further diminished their hopes of resettlement in the U.S. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
