The Taliban’s decision to cut off fiber-optic internet has triggered widespread reactions from citizens, civil society organizations, and human rights groups. In all these responses, there has been an emphasis on the urgent need to lift this restriction and on its harmful consequences across various sectors. The Taliban’s action has been described as a form of systematic repression and a denial of the people’s human, economic, and social rights. Furthermore, more than 100 civil society organizations, protest movements, and human rights groups have issued a joint statement calling the Taliban’s order a serious violation of human rights. They stressed that through such actions, the Taliban seek to conceal their “crimes, repression, and systematic discrimination” from both the people and the international community.
Yesterday, more than 100 civil society organizations, protest movements, and human rights groups released a joint statement condemning the Taliban’s order and calling it a blatant violation of fundamental human rights principles, including Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The statement said that by depriving millions of citizens of internet access, the Taliban not only blocked the free flow of information but also attempted to hide their crimes, repression, and systematic discrimination from public view. According to these organizations, the Taliban’s internet shutdown also constitutes a clear diplomatic breach of their obligations to the international community.
The organizations called on the international community—particularly the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and all governments—to immediately investigate the Taliban’s internet shutdown in Afghanistan as an inhumane act and a case of systematic human rights violations. They also demanded that the Taliban be held accountable both legally and diplomatically for depriving people of their basic rights, and that necessary sanctions be imposed.
Women and girls’ protest groups also issued separate statements strongly condemning the Taliban’s action. They emphasized that by cutting internet access in Afghanistan, the Taliban once again showed their fear of truth, freedom of expression, and public awareness. According to them, the Taliban are attempting to sever society’s lifeline of communication, turning the country into a silent prison where the voices of protest and suffering cannot reach the world.
The Spontaneous Movement of Protesting Women in Afghanistan declared in a statement that the internet is a fundamental human right and a vital need for modern society. According to the movement, cutting off internet access means silencing the people, concealing crimes, and representing a desperate attempt by the Taliban to suppress the truth. The movement appealed to the United Nations, international organizations, defenders of free expression, and all conscientious voices worldwide not to remain silent in the face of the Taliban’s repressive policy. They warned that global indifference to such crimes amounts to complicity with the Taliban and endorsement of their repression of the people of Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan’s Powerful Women’s Movement reacted to the fiber-optic internet cutoff by stating that the Taliban have once again deprived the people, particularly women, of their most basic human rights. They said this decision is part of the Taliban’s broader project to silence women and prevent the exposure of their crimes to the public.
This movement called on the international community, human rights organizations, and advocates of free expression to respond to the Taliban’s action and to use diplomatic pressure to reverse the decision. They also appealed to all freedom-seeking groups and independent media to amplify the voices of Afghan women against systematic censorship and not allow the Taliban to turn the country into a prison of silence.
Meanwhile, some protest movements urged Elon Musk, the owner of X, to provide the people of Afghanistan with access to Starlink internet.
The Afghanistan Women’s Light of Freedom Movement condemned the Taliban’s fiber-optic internet shutdown and demanded the immediate and unconditional restoration of internet services across Afghanistan. The movement called on the international community and human rights organizations to stand with the people of Afghanistan, stressing that the Taliban have sacrificed citizens’ basic rights for their repressive policies, while women continue to struggle for freedom, justice, and equality in the face of such injustices.
The Free People Movement in Exile stated in a declaration that the Taliban’s internet cutoff has led to widespread deprivation of education for women and girls and has provided further grounds for suppressing journalists and civil activists. The movement emphasized that the Taliban must be held accountable for their actions and that the international community bears responsibility for addressing this situation. They called for political and legal pressure to prevent the continuation of such inhumane behavior by the Taliban.
At the same time, education activists pointed out that the continued denial of the right to education for women and girls is being compounded by the internet shutdown. They said this move not only suppresses freedom of expression but also closes the last window of hope for women seeking access to education.
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, urged governments to immediately apply maximum pressure on the Taliban to lift the ban on high-speed internet. Yousafzai said the Taliban’s internet shutdown is the group’s latest attempt to cut off women and girls in Afghanistan from the world.
Vand International Ltd, which provides free design training to girls in Afghanistan, reported that about 80 percent of its students are Afghan citizens. According to the institute, the Taliban’s restriction of high-speed internet has endangered opportunities for dozens of Afghan girls to pursue specialized design education at this international academy.
On Monday, September 15, the Taliban ordered the shutdown of fiber-optic internet in Balkh, claiming the action was aimed at “preventing immoralities.” The restriction was later extended to Kandahar, Uruzgan, Helmand, Nimruz, Takhar, Badakhshan, and other regions. As a result of the high-speed internet shutdown, thousands of school and university students have been deprived of attending online classes, while the banking system and cryptocurrency markets have also faced serious disruptions.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
واکنشها به قطع انترنت؛ سرکوب سیستماتیک و خاموشی آخرین شعلههای امید
