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Go, go. Go back, go back! Turn back! An attack in the streets of Kabul. We are journalists. We have permission. The Taliban have control of Afghanistan's capital. Stop, stop. Turn off your camera, stop filming! You don't have the authorization! No, you don't! Here you have no right. To barricade the area, the Taliban deployed pickup trucks confiscated from the former regime's secret service. Uniforms, Kalashnikovs and M4s, everything was seized from the Afghan and American army, like a war prize. Everyone tried to flee for fear of a second explosion.
The sound was deafening. We saw the explosion there and there were no injuries thank God. We have no choice, we can't do anything, we can't leave, this is our country. Kabul is dangerous. There are explosions every day. When I go out of the house I'm afraid there will be an explosion. I have seen three explosions. There was an explosion right there in front of the college, another time in the Shahr-e-Naw area. In 2021, an attack hit Kabul on average every three days.
Afghanistan is at the crossroads of Central and South Asia and has a population of 40 million. Kabul, the capital, is at an altitude of 1,800 meters, protected by the Hindu Kush mountain range. At the peak of winter, temperatures drop to minus 20 degrees, and in summer, the heat is overwhelming. Kabul reflects the diversity of Afghanistan. Tajiks, Pashtuns, Sunni Muslims, Uzbeks and Shiite Hazaras live together with a Sikh minority. For 20 years, until the summer of 2021, the inhabitants of Kabul were experiencing modern life in some parts of the city.
Women ate lunch in restaurants unaccompanied by men. Some even played football. And there were families walking in the parks and markets. King's Palace had just been restored in the city centre. Images of peace were displayed on the blast walls. That free Kabul no longer exists today. The Taliban, ousted from power in 2001, took over the city on 15 August 2021 once again.
Here it is, the Taliban have arrived. There are traffic jams everywhere and people are fleeing. Terrorist attacks, oppression and famine. Misery is everywhere. Living in Kabul today is much like living in hell. The Taliban, an Islamist terrorist organization created in 1994. 70,000 fighters prepared for their return, a return that changed the daily life of 4 million inhabitants.
Walking through the city's high streets has become risky for young women alone. I'm just afraid, because after this, what will happen? Every time I go out I'm afraid they'll find out I'm gay, they'll kill me. Even in homes where Kabulis hide away, the Taliban threat is ever-present. I may not recognize them, but they will recognize me. And the night has become terrifying. See the dream? Very bad dream.
The monster comes to take you and swallow you, but you can't run. That's like that. The Taliban left. Hey journalists! Come on, let's go! Most of them have only ever known armed combat, witnessing the jihad against the West and in Kabul, against their enemy, ISIS. Before we stayed in power for 5 years, crime had dropped because of the sentences we gave to criminals: thieves had their hands cut off, murderers were hanged. An investigation into the heart of Kabul which has become one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
In the centre of Kabul, we head to the premises of TOLO News, an independent television channel supported and financed by the international community, a modern media outlet seen as acts of treason by the Taliban. Sixteen journalists work there, risking their lives. There was a journalist and two cameramen employed by Tolonews who died in an attack. In their memory, there are their photos, their press cards and the equipment that was destroyed in the attack. They are with us. and the gates are armoured. Tuba is a 26-year-old journalist. She agreed to let us follow her today. The young woman is covering a press conference of Afghan women activists.
The location is dangerous as it faces a building guarded by an elite Taliban unit. Her editor gives her final advice before she leaves. The first thing that is very important is to stay with the cameraman. Yes. And try to leave quickly. The most important thing for us is your safety, not the story. All right, is that ok? - Thank you. I'll leave it here. Tuba is one of the few women journalists who've remained in Kabul.
Are you ready? Shall we go? How do you feel when you are on the field? It's 50/50: I'm scared but I stay calm. When I go out, I'm scared. It's normal, everybody is scared in Afghanistan, but I try not to let the fear stop me from doing my job. The meeting takes place in the basement of this feminist and pacifist association, tolerated, for now, by the Islamic Emirate.
You have to register here, and can you show your camera? Just as she arrives at the scene, Touba updates her editor. Hello, yes sir are you ok? Actually, it's safe, it's in a house, there are twenty women. Yes, we're here. Okay, thank you. May God protect you. We have some very important guests who are going to talk to you about women's rights in the Sharia and in the world. These Afghan women are demanding the right to work and study. Since the Taliban came to power, women's freedoms have been under threat.
What do you expect from the Islamic Emirate in relation to women and women's rights? We ask the government of the Islamic Emirate to protect women and ensure their safety in Afghanistan. If they want international recognition, they must keep their promises. TOLO News will broadcast Tuba's story the same evening. The next morning, Tooba has a similar security briefing as she prepares to cover an unauthorised street demonstration calling on Afghans to rebel against the Taliban. The editor anticipates the Taliban's encirclement methods. When you are there, for example. If there are armed men and they prevent you from filming, if you're here, it's going to cause you problems.
Stay far enough away and don't get too close. Mr. Driver, we have to park the car close to us because there might be an attack, or the Taliban won't allow us to film, so we can leave quickly. Don't worry, it'll be fine. Is it dangerous there? Yes, it is without a doubt dangerous. It's very dangerous. There were threats from ISIS and also this demonstration was not allowed by the Taliban. You are afraid in any situation, especially living in such an environment. You accept death on the way out. But you have no choice.
Get your headphones. As soon as the Emirate knows about this, they'll ban us from filming. I'm sure they will! They are leaving, go and take pictures! Youth don't waste time and stand up! Equality among Afghans is the weapon against tyranny. That's it, we'll stop here. You are all champions of Afghanistan but it is dangerous to gather like this. Did you film the sign? But it's okay, forget it, there's the Taliban. I've filmed everything we need.
I think it's there. Where is the driver? - I don't know, it's there. Let's go there. Where is he? Where is the driver? - Don't stress. What's his number? I've told him 20 times to stay close to us and he's still not here. The Taliban came in a car, we left before they got out and if we didn't in time, we could have been punished. We have to leave now, we have finished our work. We have taken the footage we came for. Come on, let's get some more footage.
It's okay, forget it, there's the Taliban. You want to make trouble for us? Demonstrators and journalists fled as soon as the first pick-up approached, fearing encirclement, the Taliban trap. We head west of Kabul to the Intercontinental Hotel, one of the city's two palaces. Opened in 1969, it has 200 rooms, a handful of restaurants and a swimming pool. It's the meeting place for privileged Afghans and expatriates. Welcome to Bukhara restaurant. However, in 2011 and 2018, this luxury establishment was targeted by attacks carried out by Taliban commandos, not in power at the time.
The death toll of the 2018 attack reached 40, including 15 foreigners. Today. The Taliban control this deserted hotel, an establishment under high surveillance. Ok you'll call him? That's okay. Validate it. We have 21 checkpoints which are permanently active. The situation is serious because the media and the Westerners are making negative propaganda against us. And there are terrorists who threaten the security of the country.
A few days ago, one of our men was too suspicious and behaved too aggressively with one of our clients. We told him, "You behaved badly! This can not happen!" So we fired him! Guys, what are you doing? This is the checkpoint: we'll start here. You don't have a uniform? - Yes, but it's in the wash.
How do you rate the safety? - It's fine! Is there a problem? - Stop filming. Open your trunk. Don't take it the wrong way. - Not at all, that's the rule. These men are not just any Taliban, they are also trained warriors, elite units like the ones that attacked the hotel. It's special forces, they are all special forces.
They are very well trained, they are very good, so they are those who we can trust to take the security of a five-star hotel. They have the AK-47 with them, an M416. In 2021, the Intercontinental Restaurant was guarded by its former executioners. This young couple were among the few customers of the establishment.
This woman was teaching English, a language that was symbolic of American invaders in the Taliban's eyes. I'm here for evacuation. I'm leaving the country. I am in danger. So clearly and so short because she's a lady. You know what I say to that? She's because she's a lady. She's a woman. She's in danger. If it is about attacking, if I be at home, if I be here, that is somehow the same. Because every place, everywhere, everywhere you go, you can see them.
I saw their rules. What do they have for ladies? That's so hard. I mean, when you be a woman, you have dreams, you want to be something in the future. That's really heartbroken. I am scared, yeah. I'm really scared. Terrified by the Taliban, but trapped in a hotel under their yoke, the young couple took refuge in their room. One night they were, I mean, they were searching the rooms. They didn't say anything, but we were so scared. They came and they searched.
Just maybe you may have guns or a bomb in your room. Maybe, I don't know. But just they come and were searching. And that was a really scary night for us. Protected by an NGO, the couple waited in the hotel to be exfiltrated from the country. Living too far from the capital, they were unable to get to the airport to board a plane on the day the Taliban took Kabul. On Monday 16 August 2021, thousands of Afghans flocked to the airport in hopes of fleeing the country. In the hands of the Americans who were stationed in the country, 6,000 US soldiers mobilised to block access, protected by barbed wire and heavily armed.
Faced with the desperate crowd, the Americans were overwhelmed. They sent their translator to try to calm the situation. Shame on you! Calm down! Stay behind the line. Don't push, you'll kill people. In the name of God, move away. A US soldier. shoots a weapon into the air from this three-metre wall. The soldiers were no longer hiding behind blast walls, but were firing in the air to repel the crowd.
This child is terrified in his father's arms. At the meeting place for candidates for exile to France, men were thrown from this bridge. The soldiers were less forceful handling this young woman. As night fell, thousands of people were still rushing to the entrance blocked by the soldiers. They are beating people up? They really beat people up. The next morning, the crowd managed to reach the tarmac in an attempt to board the planes. Which plane do we get on?
Overwhelmed by the frenzy, the soldiers were unable to hold it back. Bravo! You're almost there. This young man managed to climb onto the aeroplane. The crowd. cheered for him. On another runway, however, a scene of unprecedented tragedy. In this footage, 20 men gathered on the landing gear of an American Air Force plane, desperate they hold on for their lives.
There, it took off. But as soon as it took off, Oh my God! Someone fell. Oh my God! Someone else fell. No one knows exactly. 120,000 Afghans were evacuated thanks to an airlift. With the Americans and international coalition gone, life returned to normal under the Taliban. Fighters set up numerous checkpoints along the main roads of the city to control entry and exit.
Checkpoints are a common method used by the Taliban to spark fear in Afghans. Like here with the men of Commander Zakir Tuli. His mission this morning, to check out a suspicious car. We received information from Jalalabad province. There is a car carrying drugs, weapons and guns. That's why we set up this checkpoint and we are waiting for the car.
It's dangerous: they are armed, they can shoot, they will try to flee, it's dangerous for you. We make seizures in vehicles. We also have other missions, operations in places where we know there are drugs and weapons. Today it's based on information that comes from our men on the road. Search the bag!
It's okay! Go ahead. How do you select the cars? We were given a description of the suspect passenger and the vehicle and we have all the information about the suspect and even the licence plates of the vehicle. The commander is on his guard. There is a white car approaching. The car comes from Jalalabad, a region where a resistance movement against the Islamic Emirate was created after the Taliban took power. Go ahead, move along. ISIS units are in place there. Stand to the side. Sir I promise you there is nothing. Search the doors.
Roll the windows up and down. We'll take this car to the police station. I have all the papers, you can search everything, even the doors, even open the bonnet. I'm a shuttle taxi, don't worry. Come and look, look, you can check under the hood. Where is your stuff? - What stuff? Where did you get on? Another convoy of Taliban arrives. Commander Tully was not expecting them. What is he doing? What is that cameraman doing? - They are journalists.
The other Taliban group is very aggressive, even with the PD-12 commander. Which police station are you from? I am from the 12th district. You told the chief but nobody told me! Hand me my mobile! Are you doing this for the TV? No! They were at the police station, and they followed us on our mission! The two Taliban units squabble over the checkpoint. The new Islamic Emirate seems to be struggling to contain some of its men.
One of our men was a passenger who warned us that there were signs of trafficking in this car. He saw guns and drugs. But I don't know where he put them. We have to keep searching. You have every right. Take it to the mechanic. Don't take it personally. It's our job. There is no problem, I understand that this is your job. You have received information. There you go, the car is here. Take it to the mechanic.
Naby will sit in front with the driver and bring the car back to our unit. Listen to me, if you tell me afterwards that you haven't found anything, it will be your responsibility. Commander Tully's men are furious with their Taliban brothers. Look at that fat son of a bitch with those rotten teeth.
We head to District 6 police station. After 20 years in hiding, the Taliban are back. They now hold prestigious positions in the station, including commissioner, head of anti-crime and head of anti-terrorism. Come and sit here, whoever's doing the interview. The Taliban officers are convinced of the importance of their mission. We stayed in power for 5 years. In that time crime had dropped because of the sentences we gave to criminals: thieves had their hands cut off, murderers were hanged.
Since our return, the emirate has not yet tried criminals because our courts do not function yet. When our courts are functioning again, thieves will have their hands cut off, killers will be hanged, and adulterers will be whipped. Is it important that sentences are carried out in public? It's in the sharia, if people don't see the sentences how can they be afraid? For example, in the case of a thief, if his hand is cut off in prison, and people don't see it, how is that useful? Public punishments are very necessary. This leader speaks like a true Taliban soldier. He's far from the diplomatic ramblings that Taliban ministers tout to the world. On the ground,
the soldiers of the Emirate are awaiting the strict application of Sharia law. Under the sound of Nasheed songs, the only music still permitted, the Taliban of District 6 drive to their unit's prison. On the 14th of August 2021, all prisoners in Kabul were released. Taliban, rapists, murderers, kidnappers and ISIS terrorists, all free to roam Afghanistan. The detainees here were arrested by the new kingpins of Kabul.
These are the cells for the prisoners. There are many criminals here, thieves and kidnappers too. For example, the one in yellow was stealing mobile phones. The great Quran says that the hand of a thief must be cut off under certain conditions. That's what the Quran says but obviously they're not going to cut off his hand for a phone. There are conditions in the sharia that must be respected.
I'm happy with the leaders here. There's just a small cell, there's no toilets or showers. These are problems for our government. Is this the first time you have been arrested? - Yes, this is the first time. What are they accusing you of? - I was arrested for theft. I didn't steal anything, I'm here for nothing. I was coming out of a wedding last night, they arrested me and accused me of being a thief.
I was an intelligence officer in the former government. The head of crime control said to me: we're not going to release you until you hand over your weapon! But I told them that I had already handed it in and that I have the documents to prove it. He didn't want to know anything and he insulted me, everyone here is a witness. He called me the son of a donkey. This young man also fears the death penalty. As a homosexual, he's been forced to live in hiding for the past six months for fear of being arrested or denounced.
The Taliban apply an archaic interpretation of Sharia law, the Islamic law, whereby non-heterosexual relations are punishable by death. Every second of my life is dangerous. Every time I go out, I'm afraid they'll find out I'm gay and kill me. There was a boy who was very famous, he was posting videos on social media and they were dancing at parties. And one day, he was stopped at a checkpoint, I don't know how he was dressed. They asked him questions, they inspected his phone and they found everything.
The Taliban beat him up in front of everybody, they shaved his head, they painted his face black, and since then, we don't know if he is alive or dead. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opioids. With 10% of the population addicted to opium and its derivative, heroin, a world record. Opium trafficking has largely financed the Taliban movement. However, since they came to power, the soldiers want to get rid of drug addicts from the streets of Kabul. At Pule Sokhta, a bridge that hovers above a constant flow of sewage,
drug addicts fight to survive. In Kabul. A few grams of opium costs 10 euros. These two men, drug addicts, spend their days here in search of their next fix. You start with cigarettes in the street with your mates, then you smoke weed or hash. Then it's opium and you end up with heroin and you become a drug addict and that's all you think about. If I had money, I would have stopped to rehabilitate myself. There's a body over there that's been there for 7 or 8 days. There is a grave here. He's dead.
And he is also dead. There are three corpses here. They died from the cold. There are three dead people, and there is no one to bury them. When you ask for water, they tell you to drink your piss. When you ask them for food, they beat you. They come here and take us away until their vehicles are full. People are beaten, if you look at the bodies you will see. Since the arrival of the Taliban, there have been several deaths. It's not just these three, there are dozens more like them.
They were beaten. They didn't die on their own. They have marks from the beating. It's obvious. They were beaten. When you see their bodies, they have marks from the blows and rifle butts, they hit them with their weapons. Their bodies are in horrible states. Drug addicts already have very weak bodies, so when they beat you up, they break your bones and you die like that. There is no humanity in this society. Humanity died with the arrival of the Taliban. Go away, because the Taliban will come, people will panic, God save you from getting hurt.
Do you think they will come? - Yes, they said they will come. Go away, you saw that some people left, the Taliban will come and get us. When they came to power, the Taliban arrested drug addicts and sent them by force to a rehabilitation centre for 45 days of imposed withdrawal. However, the rooms quickly filled up in the centres. At nightfall, the Taliban descend under the bridge. Come! Come on! Drug addicts and homeless people have taken refuge here to fight the cold.
Go down. Tonight, it's minus five degrees. Get up! The Taliban surround the area. Come here. Sit down. Sit down there! Stand up. - Hey! Don't hit me. - Don't hit me! I'm not going to hit you, but get up! I swear I can't walk, my leg is broken. You can't walk, get up! - I swear it's broken. Get out. Get out! Get out of the way!
Get out of here! Why are you hitting? Qari, don't follow them. Stand up, stand up. Get him up, don't leave him, get him up! Get out. Don't burn it here, there are women. Burn the others. I told your team that as soon as I finish my treatment, I will leave.
Get up, Beaten up and broken down, these drug addicts fled, but returned the next day. The Taliban units strike hardest at night. As the streets gradually empty, the patrols can deploy and act without witnesses. Commander Akbar is a soldier. He comes from the city of Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban. Commanding 15 men, his convoy is responsible for a part of the city.
God be praised. I spent three and a half years in prison. When I was a prisoner the former government services were interrogating us. I was laughing so the officials were saying: was these Taliban bastards are happy to be in prison. When we arrived in Kabul, we saw that on many walls it was written 'the Taliban are miscreants'.
You see? They said we were al-Qaeda terrorists. Like a true Taliban, Akbar claims he has endured 20 years of harassment and oppressive violence from the coalition and his traitorous Afghan brothers. We suffered a lot in the last 20 years. We suffered a lot. There were raids on our houses during the nights. Our children were afraid all the time. Our women too. Between 6 and 10 helicopters were surrounding our houses. They destroyed our doors with bombs. You know what I mean? They were abusing our Afghan women.
They were taking our women out of our houses. You see this is against our Afghan culture. That's all. It outraged the Afghans. You know? CA They used bombs so powerful that our children were bleeding from their ears and noses. ISIS and your enemy? ISIS is nothing, they are nothing. They just changed their name to fight our emirate. We give them 1 month, 20 days, 10, 15 days. They are powerless against the Taliban. Commander Akbar's unit approaches a hospital. He notices a man who is concealing a weapon behind his back.
What did the emirate give you as permission? I don't have a permit from the emirate but from the hospital. Here is my hospital card. Okay, but this is just the hospital, but do you have a valid permit from the emirate? I went but I didn't get the papers and my boss told me to go back there but there is no problem. What do you mean there is no problem? Give us your gun back. Okay, I'll tell my boss and he'll come. Can you hear me? How can I tell the difference between a thief with a gun and military equipment and someone like you, he will tell me the same thing.
If someone pretends to be a Taliban when in fact he is ISIS, how do you defend yourself? Do you think your guard will defend you? - Yes, that's exactly it. There is no more problem, you are an old man. I will leave you alone but next time I will arrest you. Even in the city's high streets, the patrols control the smallest actions of the inhabitants, including women's clothing.
This young girl is conscious of the fact that she is alone. Her scarf is not black and her face is uncovered. When they arrived in Kabul, they advised everyone that you should wear full black hijab. Do not turn around but there is a Taliban standing there so I'm just afraid after this what will happen like maybe they will ask that why you're speaking in English why you had this conversation so now I'm like more than stressed now I'm afraid so now I'm a bit not feeling good that why I should I started interviewing because they are not they don't like interviewing especially if they saw me speaking English so this is a big thing now So I'm afraid. In the Taliban's eyes,
to speak English is to have collaborated with the invading American enemy. Fortunately, this young girl didn't encounter any trouble, but for others, danger is constantly knocking at the door. Tamana Zayabi-Paryani is a young activist. She's organized several demonstrations against the oppression of women and the Taliban regime Justice! We're tired of your ignorance!
On the 19th of January 2022, a group of 20 women demanded the right to work and education. The Taliban quickly paid her a visit. Guard, help, help! Please! The Taliban are here. The young woman films herself and streams the footage live on social media. My sisters are at home. We don't want you. Please come tomorrow if you have something to tell us. You can't talk to the girls at this time. I don't want to see you.
I don't want to. We can't open the door for you. Please! The Taliban will kill us. Help, help! That night, the Taliban took Tamana by force. She was held for several weeks in an unknown location. On the 12th of February 2022, Tamana was released, but since then she has been silenced. Somewhere in a residential area of the city, a man is also in hiding. He is a former Supreme Court judge who has been without pay for several months.
There were all the Taliban fighters who were arrested on the frontline, there were also those who were planting explosives. There were also cases of suicide bombers arrested with explosive belts. I sentenced at least 15 of them to death by hanging. Not all the death sentences were carried out, so the judge suspects that some offenders are now free and probably looking for him.
They have set them all free, and they have all taken up arms again. That is where my fear comes from, because I sentenced them! They know me. I can hide anywhere but if they are looking for me, they will find me. The Taliban are investigating us: they got access to our database. They got all the addresses of the judges. They are looking for what cases we worked on! There are some extremely dangerous people among them. I prosecuted an abuse case.
The video was shown during the hearing and I sentenced the accused to death. They finished off the young victim with a pipe by hitting her on the head. These defendants are now free. I was warned that people were looking for me downstairs. They said they were old school friends. So I asked my daughter to take a picture of them, and she took a video. Look, there are Taliban. The Taliban are here.
But he dreads the day when his name will be at the top of their target list. To survive, the enemies of the new rulers of Kabul hide at night and reappear at daybreak. How are my little darlings doing? The Taliban have marked this man as a priority target, as he is a former American-trained soldier.
He used to defend Afghanistan. Now, Afghanistan is condemning him to death. Have you finished your homework? - It's Friday. So you just played? Didn't you play? - We played. Since the return of the Taliban, he's been hiding in this flat during the day with his wife and three children. At night, he leaves them in case of a raid. He wants to spare his family.
Yes, my oldest son knows why I don't sleep at home. The other two are small but they understand what is going on. When they see the Taliban, they are afraid. They tell me "the Taliban are here." What is it? - It's a simple phone. I use it when I leave my house. There's nothing on it, no pictures, no messages. I use it to contact my family when I go out.
Afterwards, when I'm in a safe place, I use my smartphone to contact my friends via WhatsApp. This smartphone could cost him his life, as the Taliban often search phones looking for clues of betrayal. Traces of his former life can be found on his phone. This is my passport picture. This is my national A&A ID card. This is my different surfer ticket. This surfer ticket from computer.
This also from computer. This was, I was going to get this, do surfer ticket from Marine Guise and the Helmand Provence.
