Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan at the end of August, the persecution of the country’s LGBT+ community has ramped up – forcing many to live in hiding, fearing for their lives.  The Taliban regime is not an only existential threat to the journalists and media activists, but the minority groups who live there face serious existential threats. 

During the Taliban Islamic regime in the past and even now, the ethnic groups were severely repressed and in some cases, they were massacred. The situation for the LGBT+ community in Afghanistan has never been easy, fundamentally same-sex relations have always been taboo and even crimes in the Muslim-majority countries. Under the Taliban regime and so many other Islamic fundamentalist governments – non-heterosexual relations were illegal and could lead to the death penalty, or even up to years in prison.

According to Powell who has spoken with France24.com the Taliban most likely profited from the power vacuum that took place in the days and weeks leading up to the US withdrawal deadline to draw up these “kill lists” by paying close attention to the names of people that foreign rights groups were trying to evacuate. “After the fall of Kabul, there was a lot of information sharing,” he said, noting that the people who never made it aboard any of the departing flights were instead left vulnerable, with their identities exposed. 

The Taliban has a hit list for the Afghan LGBT, ​​they are also the most vulnerable minority groups under direct threats and there are no extensional negotiations to save their lives under the new circumstances. Despite, the same-sex LGBT community having had many problems in the last twenty years, the lives of these people have faced many limitations and difficulties due to the existence of extremist groups and the Taliban. 

The last time the Taliban was in power from 1996 to 2001, there were reports of the stoning of gay men, women, and minority groups. When the Taliban spokesperson calls human rights under the Islam law and its regime framework, means there is no place for the same-sex and LGBT+ community. 

Taliban are undermining the Human rights organizations, and so the Taliban calls them to go to hell with your LGBTQ community.

By: Marziye Vafayi writer & psychologist