Afghan Witness

Collecting, preserving and verifying information on human rights and security. Promoting information integrity. Protecting online participation through digital resilience.

Highlights

Online abuse Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence

19th Mar 26

A guide on digital safety for women and girls

‘Digital Safety for Women and Girls’ is a booklet developed by Afghan Witness to provide accessible and practical support in minimising risks online.

Policies and Restrictions

2nd Dec 25

Restrictions on Women’s Rights in Afghanistan: Reported Measures and Timeline (2021–2025)

Since the Taliban’s return in 2021, Afghan women have faced escalating restrictions that limit their mobility, visibility, and access to basic services. This report together recent directives verified by Afghan Witness, as well as a timeline of restrictions since 2021 to show how measures eroding women's rights across Afghanistan have developed.

Media Propaganda

24th Jul 25

Call(s) to Jihad: An analysis of ISKP audio propaganda

The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) shares a wide range of audio content via social media to influence and connect with its online audience. Here we examine the ISKP's use of sound to shape its messaging and mobilise support.

Propaganda

21st May 25

‘Media Mujahideen': The visual narratives of ISKP social messaging platforms

Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) uses a wealth of visual material to communicate as a group on social messaging platforms, including stickers, gifs, posters and infographics. This investigation analyses an indicative sample of visual materials shared by the ISKP to identify key narratives in the content, provide explanations of their context, and assess their purposes.

LGBTQ+ Gender-Based Violence Minority Rights

2nd May 25

The impact of the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice

Terrorism

14th Mar 25

Senior pro-Taliban cleric assassinated in Pakistan

Human Rights

14th Mar 25

Taliban withdraw from the ICC’s Rome Statute

Information environment

14th Mar 25

Taliban-backed Shia conference draws thousands in Kabul

Latest Articles

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Gender-Based Violence Women in Activism, Media, and Politics

7th Mar 25

Bridging the gap: Using OSINT to report on women and girls in Afghanistan

Journalists face immense challenges reporting on women’s rights inside Afghanistan. But newsrooms and researchers are leveraging open source techniques to investigate topics such as gender-based violence – shining a light on a range of underreported issues.

Taliban

18th Nov 24

Documenting demolitions: the Taliban’s land clearance campaign and its impact on marginalised communities

Since assuming power in August 2021, the Taliban have initiated a number of infrastructure projects in Kabul. But forced evictions and demolitions have seen ethnic minorities and vulnerable communities bear the brunt.

Policies and Restrictions Women in Activism, Media, and Politics

12th Sep 24

The power of non-violent resistance

How women of Afghanistan fight the Taliban today

Information environment

2nd Sep 24

Afghanistan’s shrinking information environment

What is the information environment, and what challenges face Afghanistan’s own information space? How can we strengthen it?

The Afghan Witness Map

Verified information is stored in a database and represented on the Afghan Witness Map with one simple goal: to provide the world with timely and reliable information concerning ongoing events in Afghanistan.

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How to Use Our Map

The interactive Afghan Witness Map is a powerful tool for visualizing verified human rights abuses and security threats across Afghanistan.

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In the Press

ISS images capture rare view of Russian missile strike on Kyiv, analyst says

Reuters, 23 March 2026

Cheap, effective and battle-tested by Russia: Iran leans on Shahed drones to penetrate U.S. defenses

NBC, 3 March 2026

Birmanie : une entreprise européenne fournit des avions à la junte sous embargo, en toute discrétion ou presque

Le Monde, 25 February 2026

Iran’s shadow fleet is fueling the Myanmar junta’s air war

Reuters, 26 January 2026

How a remote airstrip in Libya reshaped Sudan’s civil war

Reuters, 22 December 2025

Myanmar declares a 'zero tolerance' policy for cyberscams. But the fraud goes on

AP News, 17 December 2025

Sudan war: Air force's bombing of towns, markets and schools has killed hundreds, report says

BBC News, 9 December 2025

Blood and Resources: How Great Powers Get Rich on Civil War

Modern Diplomacy, 28 November 2025

Hospital massacre caps a long series of attacks on healthcare in war-torn Sudan

Reuters, 28 November 2025

How we identified Afghan house hit in reported Pakistan air strike

BBC Verify, 26 November 2025

‘We saw so many bodies that we lost count’: uncovering the hidden horror of El Fasher

The Observer, 26 November 2025

How this newsroom braves Sudan’s civil war to keep the world informed

Reuters Instutute, 21 November 2025

We aim to strengthen the information landscape and provide a reliable source of information for international organisations, policymakers and the media, and to raise awareness of the reality of everyday life for Afghans living in the country.

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Human Stories

Original interviews with Afghans on how their lives have changed since the Taliban takeover

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OSINT 101

An explainer series about OSINT, its techniques, and how these can be applied in real-world investigations, especially in Afghanistan.

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Highlights

A guide on digital safety for women and girls

Restrictions on Women’s Rights in Afghanistan: Reported Measures and Timeline (2021–2025)

Call(s) to Jihad: An analysis of ISKP audio propaganda

‘Media Mujahideen': The visual narratives of ISKP social messaging platforms

The impact of the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice

Senior pro-Taliban cleric assassinated in Pakistan

Taliban withdraw from the ICC’s Rome Statute

Taliban-backed Shia conference draws thousands in Kabul

Latest Articles

Bridging the gap: Using OSINT to report on women and girls in Afghanistan

Documenting demolitions: the Taliban’s land clearance campaign and its impact on marginalised communities

The power of non-violent resistance

Afghanistan’s shrinking information environment

The Afghan Witness Map

View the Map

How to Use Our Map

In the Press

ISS images capture rare view of Russian missile strike on Kyiv, analyst says

Cheap, effective and battle-tested by Russia: Iran leans on Shahed drones to penetrate U.S. defenses

Birmanie : une entreprise européenne fournit des avions à la junte sous embargo, en toute discrétion ou presque

Iran’s shadow fleet is fueling the Myanmar junta’s air war

How a remote airstrip in Libya reshaped Sudan’s civil war

Myanmar declares a 'zero tolerance' policy for cyberscams. But the fraud goes on

Sudan war: Air force's bombing of towns, markets and schools has killed hundreds, report says

Blood and Resources: How Great Powers Get Rich on Civil War

Hospital massacre caps a long series of attacks on healthcare in war-torn Sudan

How we identified Afghan house hit in reported Pakistan air strike

‘We saw so many bodies that we lost count’: uncovering the hidden horror of El Fasher

How this newsroom braves Sudan’s civil war to keep the world informed

We aim to strengthen the information landscape and provide a reliable source of information for international organisations, policymakers and the media, and to raise awareness of the reality of everyday life for Afghans living in the country.

Join our mailing list

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