The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has reassigned nine officials in an effort to consolidate his power against other Taliban factions, particularly the Haqqani Network. Internal tensions, however, are also accentuating ethnic and territorial divisions. Meanwhile, the internal humanitarian situation is worsening as a result of the forced repatriation of tens of thousands of refugees from Iran.

Moscow has become the first government to complete the normalisation of relations with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since 2018, Russian policy towards the Taliban had begun to change, moving from formal opposition to an evident search for cooperation. But the new friendship with Kabul will develop in the usual style of mutual suspicion and cross-checking

Maryam Marof Arwin, founder of the Purple Saturdays Movement, spoke to AsiaNews about often inhumane conditions of Afghan refugees in Iran, which got worse following Israel’s recent strikes. At least one Afghan has died so far from an airstrike. Women, children, dissidents, and activists risk their lives if repatriated, but even in exile they face hunger, precariousness, and discrimination. For the activist, human rights defenders must promote respect for humanitarian law.

These refugees meet the criteria for resettlement in third countries and need international protection the most. Expulsions to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan continue; in April alone, more than 300,000 returned from Pakistan and Iran, aggravating a humanitarian crisis already out of control due to extreme poverty. For their part, Kabul, Beijing and Islamabad are building new geopolitical ties.

The goal of the program is to help inmates return to a "dignified life" in society. The state is prepared to allocate nearly .6 million for a five-year plan. The real threat of radicalization arises within prison walls. The exponential increase in convictions is linked to the political class's crackdown on dissent.

Despite criticism from several international organisations, Pakistan launched the second phase of its forced repatriation plan for Afghan refugees, which began in 2023. The lives of Afghan human rights activists and members of the former pro-Western regime are at risk. For Pakistani authorities, expulsions are a way to pressure the Taliban, accused of supporting terrorist groups operating in Pakistan.