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Pro-Taliban outlet releases alleged AI-generated audio of former Afghan commander arranging mercenary deal Clips alleged to show former commander Sadat arranging mercenaries for Ukraine spark controversy, with allegations of AI manipulation. 21 Oct 2024 On 8 October 2024, pro-Taliban media outlet Niqab (“The Mask”) shared a 26-second audio clip on X (formerly Twitter), attributing it to former Afghan Special Operations Corps Commander, Lieutenant General Sami Sadat. In the audio clip, the voice alleged to be that of Sadat discusses a contract to send seven former Afghan special forces soldiers to fight in Ukraine for USD 5,000 (GBP 3,824) per month. The recipient of the conversation is referred to as “David”, who Niqab claims is a military contractor allegedly sending mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. The outlet also alleges that Sadat is using his London-based company, Sadat Consultants Limited , for controlling operations. It is worth noting that Sadat Consultants Limited was officially dissolved in February 2024, even if the website is still live. Niqab shared two more clips: a 22-second response from "David" negotiating terms, and an 11-second clip of Sadat agreeing . Responses to the alleged audio of Sami Sadat Several pro-Taliban X accounts reshared the voice clips initially posted by Niqab, while some anti-Taliban accounts labelled them as fake , claiming the voices were generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Afghan journalist Mirwais Afghan stated on X that the audio attributed to Sadat was fabricated using spliced clips. He added that Sadat had personally informed him the voice was faked using AI. The post was subsequently reshared on Sadat’s own X account. Analysing claims of the use of AI AW was unable to verify the authenticity of the audio clips, but there are several indicators that cast doubt on their legitimacy. Analysis of the audio released by Niqab (see Figure 1) shows limited variations in pitch and tone, as is usual for a human voice. Furthermore, comparison of wavelengths of the Niqab clip with audio clips from prior interviews with Sami Sadat shows different intonations in voice, as well as a slower pace of speech. Figure 1: Comparison of wavelengths of the audio released by Niqab (top) with historical audio recording of Sami Sadat (bottom). Taliban propaganda and the use of AI Niqab’s account on X was created in November 2023 and describes itself as a platform that “unmasks hidden truths and corruption” related to the former Afghan government, and serves as “a complete archive of American corruption and betrayal” in Afghanistan. The account began posting in May 2024 and, in addition to promoting propaganda against the former republic government and women’s rights activists and protesters , has published two controversial audio clips which it attributed to the National Resistance Front (NRF) leader, Ahmad Massoud. On 23 July 2024, Niqab shared a 17-second audio clip purportedly featuring Ahmad Massoud, in which he expresses concerns to an individual referred to as “Richard” about the harmful effects to the NRF of Tajik government’s closure of its office in Tajikistan. Speaking in English, the alleged voice of Massoud reportedly seeks “Richard's” advice and support on the issue. Several anti-Taliban accounts responded to the audio clip, labelling it as propaganda and a product of AI . While Niqab did not provide more information on the identity of “Richard”, on 25 July 2024, a pro-Taliban X account claimed that the individual was Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. The post featured a supposed screen-recording of a WhatsApp conversation in which the audio is played. However, the screen recording is clearly manufactured: the audio file does not appear as an audio file should in a WhatsApp conversation, and it also finishes ‘playing’ – as represented by a dot moving along the visual representation of the recording – seven seconds before the audio is finished, meaning the audio has been put on top of a mocked-up conversation. So while it is difficult to make a technical conclusion on the audio, the screen recording is clearly fake and produced to lend credibility to the audio, making it highly likely the audio is falsified. Figure 2: Comparison of supposed WhatsApp screen recording of Massoud-Bennett audio (top) with a generic voice message in WhatsApp (bottom). Note the Massoud-Bennett audio is represented as a line of dots, whereas a genuine WhatsApp audio features a representation of the audio levels On 7 September 2024, Niqab released another audio clip purportedly featuring Ahmad Massoud, in which he allegedly expressed his frustration to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock that the management of a German hotel had denied NRF the use of its venue for an event commemorating Ahmad Shah Massoud’s death anniversary. An anti-Taliban account alleged that the clip was AI generated: "Don't be cheated. Don't fall for these things in the age of artificial intelligence. Think about it: is it really rational for someone to be sending a WhatsApp voice message to a foreign minister?" Remarks Pro-Taliban propaganda channels, such as Al-Mersaad , Hindukush , and Niqab , consistently target anti-Taliban and opposition figures through their content. Although it is technically challenging to confirm the use of AI in audio clips released by Niqab, this would represent a new tactic in pro-Taliban propaganda, as well as an increasing threat to the information space in Afghanistan. The use of AI technology to create fake audio clips by the Taliban or their supporters has also not been limited to targeting domestic opposition groups, as evidenced by the apparent attempt to implicate Richard Bennett, as noted above. Share

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​ ​ 21 Oct 2024

Human Stories Original interviews with Afghans on how their lives have changed since the Taliban takeover Up Load more Stories List Gawhar Before the Taliban’s takeover, Gawhar had been preparing for university. Now she spends her days as a carpet weaver in Pakistan. Read More Sofia University graduate Sofia grew up hearing "tales" of the Taliban, but says she now faces the "same fate" her mother faced. Read More Frozan After the closure of girls’ secondary schools and then an attack on her education centre, a student says her hopes have been dashed by the Taliban’s recent university ban for women. Read More Parnian A student recalls the day the Taliban closed universities to women. Read More Fatana A doctor says that many of her new patients are schoolgirls who have lost hope. Read More Arseen An LGBTQ activist fled Afghanistan after receiving death threats from the Taliban. Now in Iran, he faces uncertainty over his future. Read More Maihan While studying for a PhD in Pakistan, university lecturer Maihan had her income cut-off by the Taliban. Now she faces poverty in Afghanistan. Read More Rahima The owner of a Kabul beauty salon says her business is facing increasing uncertainty. Read More Morwarid A young entrepreneur struggles to keep her business afloat amid Taliban restrictions. Read More Sakhi After leaving Afghanistan, Sakhi faces new challenges in Pakistan. Read More Malalai Pen Path volunteer Malalai refuses to let anything get in the way of her campaigning for educational rights. Read More Aqlima Until last August, Aqlima was campaigning to get more women into cycling, but since the Taliban’s return, women are unable to participate in sports. Read More

Human Stories Original interviews with Afghans on how their lives have changed since the Taliban takeover 10 Oct 2024 ​ ​ Read here پښتو فارسی 14 Feb 2023 Sofia University graduate Sofia grew up hearing "tales" of the Taliban, but says she now faces the "same fate" her mother faced. Read here پښتو فارسی 12 Jan 2023 Parnian A student recalls the day the Taliban closed universities to women. Read here پښتو فارسی 15 Nov 2022 Arseen An LGBTQ activist fled Afghanistan after receiving death threats from the Taliban. Now in Iran, he faces uncertainty over his future. Read here پښتو فارسی 9 Sept 2022 Rahima The owner of a Kabul beauty salon says her business is facing increasing uncertainty. Read here پښتو فارسی 22 Jul 2022 Sakhi After leaving Afghanistan, Sakhi faces new challenges in Pakistan. Read here پښتو فارسی 21 Mar 2023 Gawhar Before the Taliban’s takeover, Gawhar had been preparing for university. Now she spends her days as a carpet weaver in Pakistan. Read here پښتو فارسی 25 Jan 2023 Frozan After the closure of girls’ secondary schools and then an attack on her education centre, a student says her hopes have been dashed by the Taliban’s recent university ban for women. Read here پښتو فارسی 7 Dec 2022 Fatana A doctor says that many of her new patients are schoolgirls who have lost hope. Read here پښتو فارسی 3 Nov 2022 Maihan While studying for a PhD in Pakistan, university lecturer Maihan had her income cut-off by the Taliban. Now she faces poverty in Afghanistan. Read here پښتو فارسی 22 Aug 2022 Morwarid A young entrepreneur struggles to keep her business afloat amid Taliban restrictions. Read here پښتو فارسی 4 Jul 2022 Malalai Pen Path volunteer Malalai refuses to let anything get in the way of her campaigning for educational rights. Read here پښتو فارسی Filter by Tags View More

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Noor Fellowship: meet the fellows and discover their work Their research offers fresh perspectives on key issues and under-reported stories concerning land rights, media freedom, and women’s digital activism in Afghanistan. 23 Sept 2024 The Noor Fellowship ('Noor' or 'نور', meaning 'light') is a four-month online program that provides mentoring in open-source intelligence, verification, fact-checking and network building to selected journalists, researchers, advocates, and human rights reporters working on Afghanistan. Omid Sobhani – Visibility of Minority Land Grabbing on Afghan Media Omid Sobhani is an Afghan journalist who has collaborated with major international media outlets like ABC News Australia, as well as various local media organisations in Afghanistan. Omid’s research delves into the issue of land-grabbing affecting Hazara and Uzbek minorities since August 20021. Despite numerous documented incidents, Afghan media coverage has been minimal—just two articles and two reports, primarily focused on Taliban efforts to reclaim state land. Minority communities were rarely mentioned, highlighting a gap in reporting. His work examines the reasons behind this limited coverage, including media control by the Taliban and the financial difficulties faced by Afghan outlets, leading to self-censorship. Omid Sobhani – Visibility of Minority Land Grabbing on Afghan Media .pdf Download PDF • 1.01MB Shahrbanu Haidari – Digital Resistance: women’s activism under Taliban rule Shahrbanu Haidari is a women's rights activist whose research area is focused on diaspora studies, peace building and women activism. Shahrbanu’s research investigates digital platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, where women advocate for their rights, share experiences, and organise across borders. She highlights the challenges activists face, including limited internet access, trauma, and security concerns under Taliban control. Her study also shows how diaspora activists play a key role in amplifying the voices of women still in Afghanistan, creating a bridge for global engagement. Shahrbanu Haidari - Digital Resistance - Women’s Activism Under Taliban Rule .pdf Download PDF • 772KB Humayoon – Women’s Visibility in Afghan Media Before and After the Taliban Takeover in August 2021 Humayoon is an Afghan journalist writing about a range of topics on Afghanistan, from combat to car bombs, human rights, gender-based violence, climate change, social development, corruption, and foreign aid. Humayoon’s work explores how the post-2001 period saw unprecedented female participation in Afghanistan’s media, a trend that was reversed in 2021. Since then, female journalists have faced censorship, job losses, and threats, significantly reducing their presence. Humayoon highlights the effects of these restrictions on the wider media landscape and calls for measures to preserve media freedom and ensure the continued inclusion of women in Afghan journalism. Humayoon - Women’s Visibility in Afghan Media Before and After the Taliban Takeover in Aug .pdf Download PDF • 1.11MB Ali Reza Hussaini - The Role of the #StopHazaraGenocide Advocacy in Afghanistan Digital Public Sphere Ali is a research fellow at Leipzig University. He specialises in researching the utilisation of social media by the Taliban and Afghanistan diaspora communities. Ali's research examines the #StopHazaraGenocide campaign as a case study of digital activism in Afghanistan's emerging digital public sphere. It highlights the role of social media in mobilising the Hazara community, driven largely by the Afghan diaspora, and documents the campaign’s success in trending for 12 days. The study underscores the importance of rapid responsiveness, diaspora engagement, and influencer involvement, while noting challenges in fostering engagement and logistics for future campaigns. Ali Reza Hussaini - The Role of the #StopHazaraGenocide Advocacy in Afghanistan Digital Pu .pdf Download PDF • 2.19MB Share

ISKP massacres group of Hazara in Central Afghanistan ISKP’s third attack in the region since August 2021 kills at least 14 men. 24 Sept 2024 On 12 September 2024, various Afghan news agencies reported a militant attack against a group of Hazara men on a road between Daykundi and Ghor provinces. The following day, Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the attack, claiming it took the lives of 14 people, and injured six others. ISKP claimed the attack a few hours after it occurred, in a statement that read: “15 Rafidis (Shias) killed and 6 others injured in an attack by the Caliphate soldiers in central Afghanistan. By the grace of Allah Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate targeted a group of apostate Rafidis in the village of Qaryudal, between the Daikundi and Ghor regions in central Afghanistan, with machine guns, which led to the killing of 15 Rafidis and wounding 6 others, praise and thanks be to Allah.” Figure: ISKP statement claiming the attack against the group of Hazara men. In addition to the claim, the group also shared six photos of the attack on a private Telegram channel. The images appeared to be screenshots of a recording of the incident, however no footage was made available. The photos showed a group of Hazara men standing together, likely as the ISKP members approached them. Subsequent photos showed the men running from gunfire, as well as images of bodies on the ground. The photos reached X (formerly Twitter), as several news agencies and users shared them on the platform. AW geolocated the location of the incident to a road connecting Daykundi province’s Qaryudal village with Pahlow Sang village in Ghor province. Figure: Geolocation of the photos shared by ISKP, showing the attack against a group of Hazara men on a road between Daykundi and Ghor [34.299889, 65.641761]. The Independent Persian reportedly spoke to one of the survivors. According to the unnamed individual, the group of 17 Hazara men were preparing to meet the pilgrims of Karbala (a key pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims) and escort them to Qaryudal, their village, when four armed masked men stopped them. They identified themselves as members of the Islamic Emirate and claimed to have received a report that one of the members of the group was suspected of “destructive activity.” The armed men reportedly took the belongings of the Hazara men, including mobile phones, and lined them up. The witness recalled that three of the men were carrying Kalashnikov rifles, and one had a handgun and a mobile phone which he was using to take photos and record videos. He recalled that the armed men called them “polytheists” while shooting. According to the witness, after the massacre the ISKP members took one of the victims with them. While AW cannot verify what was said to the group, it can confirm that ISKP published pictures showing five Hazara men in a line. In separate photos, three of those five men were seen on the ground after being shot, with the two remaining ones appearing to run from gunfire, towards Qaryudal village, which is over two kilometres away. It is therefore possible that some of the four men seen running were among the reported survivors. Photos published by ISKP confirmed the presence of at least one Kalashnikov rifle, and a handgun, identified as a Glock 9 in 9mm, as seen below. Figure: Two of the attackers shooting the Hazara men with a Kalashnikov rifle (left), and a Glock 9 (right). After the attack various social media users shared photos of the bodies at the same location of where ISKP had taken photos of the men in a line. AW verified the presence of 14 bodies laid on the ground, with similar clothes as the ones observed in all the photos published by the violent extremist group. One of the survivors, who spoke to the Independent Persian, said that he called local Taliban officials requesting them to come to the scene and track down the perpetrators; however, Taliban authorities reportedly took several hours to arrive. Figure: Comparison between the location of the Hazar men seen before the attack (left), and the bodies displayed on the ground after the shooting (right). On 13 September 2024 Afghan news agencies and social media users shared videos of the funeral of the 14 men. AW geolocated the service to Qaryudal village in the Sang-e-Takht district of Daykundi province, bordering Ghor province, where the men were reportedly from. Figure: Geolocation of the funeral procession [34.299450, 65.672989]. Anwar Saadat Yar, a social media user claiming to be a journalist, shared a list containing the names of the 14 men killed, alongside photos of 12 of them. AW can confirm that some of the faces on the photos match the ones seen in the images published by ISKP. On 12 September 2024, hours after the attack, Afghanistan International published an audio file with a statement from a local resident. According to the man, the Taliban promised to provide security in the area just days earlier. Since the Taliban assumed control in Afghanistan in August 2021, ISKP has claimed responsibility for 41 attacks targeting the Shia community. This specific attack is noteworthy, as it involved ISKP posing as Taliban to stop a relatively large group of Hazara civilians and then their execution. Of the 41 attacks, the majority (31) were improvised explosive device (IED) attacks. There were also four suicide attacks, and four targeted shootings involving pistols and Kalashinkov rifles. Moreover, this incident marks the third attack by ISKP in the central Afghan provinces since August 2021, all of which occurred in 2024. In June 2024, ISKP claimed responsibility for a targeted attack in the Dawlat Yar district of Ghor province, where a local Taliban official was killed by gunfire; and in May 2024, ISKP claimed responsibility for an assault on foreign tourists in neighbouring Bamyan province, resulting in six fatalities and seven injuries from gunfire. Share

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​ ​ 24 Sept 2024

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