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Frud Bezhan

Frud Bezhan is the editor for Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan in the Central Newsroom at RFE/RL. Previously, he was a correspondent and reported from Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Turkey. Prior to joining RFE/RL in 2011, he worked as a freelance journalist in Afghanistan and contributed to several Australian newspapers, including The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

BezhanF@rferl.org

Produced by Frud Bezhan

September 26, 2021
Afghan Women's Shelters Vanishing Under Taliban Rule

Many women's shelters in Afghanistan have shut down since the Taliban seized power in August. Activists say the closure of the shelters cuts off the only protection for victims of domestic abuse in the deeply conservative and patriarchal country.
September 10, 2021
Afghan Women At Forefront Of Nonviolent Resistance To Taliban

Women have been the driving force behind street protests in Kabul and other major cities since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. The women are demanding equal rights even as they face threats and violence at the hands of armed Taliban fighters.
September 08, 2021
Taliban’s 'Mullahcratic' Government: Militants Fail To Form Inclusive Administration

The Taliban promised to form an “inclusive Islamic government” after regaining power in Afghanistan. But the militants have announced a new regime made up entirely of senior Taliban members, with no women or technocrats and just a few non-Pashtuns.
September 07, 2021
Key Figures In The Taliban's New Theocratic Government

The Taliban has announced a new Afghan government some three weeks after seizing control of the country from the internationally recognized government of former President Ashraf Ghani. We look at the key figures in the still-unrecognized administration.
September 06, 2021
Taliban Imposes New Dress Code, Segregation Of Women At Afghan Universities

The Taliban has announced a new dress code for women who attend universities in Afghanistan that forces them to completely cover their bodies in black. The militant group also said classes will be segregated by gender and that female teachers can only teach women.
September 02, 2021
'We Don't Have Any Money': Taliban Takeover Plunges Afghanistan Into Economic Turmoil

The Taliban's takeover has thrown Afghanistan's economy into chaos. Since the militant group's capture of Kabul on August 15, many Afghans are grappling with soaring food prices and cash shortages.
August 19, 2021
Thousands Of Afghans With Travel Documents Stranded In Kabul As Taliban Fighters Turn Them Away

Fearing for his life, Ahmad fled his home in Kabul shortly after Taliban militants seized control of the city. He now resides in a safe house in the Afghan capital, desperately waiting to be flown to safety abroad.
August 18, 2021
Fewer Women, No Entertainment: Kabul's Media Scene Transforms After Taliban Takeover

Afghanistan's vibrant media scene has changed drastically since the Taliban took over the country on August 15. State television now airs Taliban announcements and Islamic sermons while private TV networks have removed entertainment shows and replaced many female presenters with male colleagues.
August 16, 2021
Ashraf Ghani: The Deeply Polarizing President Who Oversaw The Fall Of Afghanistan

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country as the Taliban took over Kabul, was a deeply polarizing and abrasive figure. His leadership style alienated key power brokers and contributed to the collapse of Afghanistan’s security forces.
August 15, 2021
The Taliban Is Back. So What Happens Next?

Here are some of the key questions regarding the immediate future of Afghanistan with the Taliban at the gates of Kabul, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaving the country, and talks under way for a transfer of power to the hard-line Islamist insurgents.
August 14, 2021
'People Are Terrified': Panic Sweeps Kabul As Taliban Moves Toward Afghan Capital

Fear and panic is gripping residents of the Afghan capital as Taliban militants march toward the city following a blistering offensive in which they have captured large swaths of the country.
August 13, 2021
Taliban's Seizure Of Key Cities A ‘Game-Changing Event’ In Afghan War

The Taliban's capture of Herat and Kandahar, among Afghanistan's largest cities, is a major turning point in the war that analysts say significantly shifts the balance of power in the war-torn country.
August 12, 2021
Afghanistan’s Anti-Taliban Stronghold Gears Up For New Fight Against Militants

Residents of the Panjshir Valley, a famed bastion of resistance to the Taliban in the 1990s, are girding for conflict as the militants advance.
August 10, 2021
Taliban’s Capture Of Afghan Cities Boosts ‘Narrative Of Inevitable Conquest’

The Taliban has captured six cities and towns in just days, a major blow to the Afghan government. But observers say the gains do not spell an outright victory for the militant group.
August 05, 2021
Taliban Shuts Down Afghanistan's Independent Media In Newly Gained Territory

The Taliban has imposed a media crackdown on territory under its control, forcing dozens of media outlets to shut down and its journalists to flee or go underground.
August 03, 2021
Interview: Khalilzad Urges Political Deal Between Warring Afghan Sides To Prevent ‘Protracted Conflict’

In an interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi, U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad says the only way to end the war and prevent a "protracted" conflict is by political agreement.
July 26, 2021
'We Don't Have A Choice': Thousands Of Afghans Fleeing Abroad Daily As Taliban Violence Soars

Thousands of Afghans are escaping abroad every day as the Taliban wages a blistering military offensive amid the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.
July 19, 2021
‘Weak From Hunger’: Taliban’s Sweeping Offensive Pushes Afghanistan Toward Humanitarian Crisis

The Taliban's blistering military offensive has displaced tens of thousands of people across Afghanistan in recent months, with aid agencies warning of a looming humanitarian disaster.
July 14, 2021
Return To The 'Dark Days': Taliban Reimposes Repressive Laws On Women In Newly Captured Areas In Afghanistan

Residents of northern Afghanistan, the focus of the Taliban’s blistering offensive, say the militant group has reimposed many of the repressive laws and retrograde policies that defined its 1996-2001 rule.
July 09, 2021
Once A Bastion Of Taliban Resistance, Afghanistan’s Badakhshan On Brink Of Falling To Militants

Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province was a stronghold for the opposition fighting against Taliban forces in the 1990s. But the foreign troop departure has led to a dramatic change on the ground in the Taliban's favor.

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