restrictions, with limits imposed on the activities of institutiions and organizations concerned with human rights, particularly those defending the rights of women and children.

The Afghan Women's Organization reported on Thursday, July 23, that Taliban forces stormed the headquarters of the "Women's and Chlidren's Rights Research Foundation" five days earlier and detained a number of its staff, including six female employees, noting that their fate remains unknown so far, with no official information provided regarding the reasons for the arrests or their place of detention.

The organization said the raid targeted the office of the foundation, which is headed by women's rights activist Zarqa Yaftali, explaining that the forces confiscated work equipment, documents, and files belonging to the foundation during the raid, disrupting its activities.

In a statement posted on its account on the platform X, the Afghan Women's Organization called on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other international human rights organizations to intervene urgently to determine the fate of the detainees and work toward their immediate and unconditional release.

The Women's and Children's Rights Research Foundation is among the organizations working in the fields of education, rights advocacy, conducting studies and research, and preparing reports on the situation of women and children in Afghanistan.

The families of the detained staff expressed concern over the continued lack of information about their relatives, calling on the authorities to disclose their places of detention, clarify the reasons for their arrest, and ensure they receive proper care and basic rights.

This incident comes amid ongoing restrictions on the work of civil and human rights organizations in Afghanistan, particularly those focused on women's and children's issues, amid repeated international calls to protect human rights workers and ensure the continued operation of humanitarian and civil institutions.