Research

In December 2025, the latest report of the Afghanistan Monitoring Team was published. Operating under the mandate of the United Nations Security Council, the expert group assesses the country’s political and security situation, the functioning of the Taliban administration, and the risks emanating from Afghanistan that affect regional stability.

Although the persecution of the Hazaras stretches back centuries, the decades-long armed conflict in Afghanistan and its aftermath has meant that the plight of minorities is often overlooked by mainstream media. Millions of Hazaras still live in uncertainty, poverty, and fear in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But what lies behind that fear – and beyond it?

Shab-e Yalda, the Persian winter solstice celebration, marks the longest night of the year and the symbolic rebirth of the sun. It is a time for family, poetry, and shared hope.