The first international passenger flight out of Afghanistan’s Kabul airport since the end of the U.S. withdrawal landed in Doha Thursday. The Qatar Airways plane held over 100 passengers, including Americans, Canadians and Britons. But the fate of many more who are still trying to leave Afghanistan, both foreign nationals and Afghans, is unknown.
Meanwhile, there have been increasing reports of Taliban intimidation and violence against journalists, aid workers, activists, women and others. The U.N. said its Afghan staff have been subjected to threats, physical abuse, and some offices were looted. This is journalist Taqi Daryabi, who was arrested while covering a women’s protest in Kabul on Wednesday and tortured in detention.
Taqi Daryabi: “For about 10 minutes, about seven or eight people were beating us as much as they could. They would raise sticks and beat us with all of their strength. … When they treat journalists like this, it’s possible that journalism will stop in Afghanistan within a few months. It will be destroyed. What we want from the Taliban is for them to be responsible for the security and well-being of journalists.”