Digital investigations. Human stories.

Restrictions on women and the media in Afghanistan are well documented, but how they are enforced is less understood. Drawing on Afghan Witness monitoring from January 2022 to April 2026, this report examines how nationally issued restrictions are implemented in practice, and finds that variation across provinces and institutions reflects the structure of Taliban governance rather than inconsistent policy.

On 8 July 2026, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) captured Al Kurmuk in Sudan's Blue Nile state, around one kilometre from the Ethiopian border. CIR verified six videos of SAF fighters in the town, part of a wider pattern of SAF movements documented across the state between 28 May and 8 July 2026. CIR also identified hate speech from Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders threatening SAF, the Joint Forces and specific tribal communities.

Drawing on open-source evidence gathered since late 2024, CIR has documented Israeli forces’ actions at refugee camps in the northern West Bank, such as demolishing homes to widen roads for armoured vehicles and occupying residential buildings as fortified positions.