Zakia Khodadadi, a para taekwondo athlete from Afghanistan residing in France, has become the champion of the European Para Taekwondo Championships 2026 for the second time and has won the gold medal in these competitions. Ms. Khodadadi announced on her Instagram account that she secured first place in the European Championship by defeating opponents from Italy, Georgia, and Turkey. In this tournament, Zakia Khodadadi participated in the under 47 kg weight category and became the champion by overcoming her Turkish opponent in the final match. The "Euro Taekwondo 2026 Munich" competitions started on May 11 in Munich, Germany, and concluded on May 14. It is noteworthy that Zakia Khodadadi also won a bronze medal at the Rio Open G2 2025 para taekwondo competition in Brazil last spring. Ms. Khodadadi is the first female athlete from Afghanistan to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, earning the title of "brave woman" in this sporting event. Before winning the gold medal at the European Para Taekwondo Championships, she had previously won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Grand Prix, a silver medal at an international competition in Albania, and a bronze medal at the Para Taekwondo competition in Egypt in 2016. It should be noted that Zakia Khodadadi was awarded the Emerging Leadership category of the International Paralympic Committee's International Women's Day Award 2025 for her advocacy of women's rights in Afghanistan, particularly the right to education and sports for girls. While Zakia Khodadadi becomes a champion in this period, women and girls in Afghanistan are deprived of participating in sports activities. Since the current government came to power, extensive restrictions have been imposed on women's presence in public spheres, including sports. According to reports from international organizations, women in Afghanistan are not allowed to attend clubs,، participate in sports competitions, or engage in formal training. These restrictions have led many female athletes to stop their activities or leave the country to continue their pursuits.

The Franco Louis organization has announced that Shamim Frotan, a poet and writer from Afghanistan, has received a literary award from the 17th International Literary Festival organized by the "Franco Louis" institution in Italy. This organization stated in a press release that the festival is held annually in the city of Grottammare, Italy, and poets and writers from various countries participate in it. The announcement emphasized that the purpose of holding this festival is to introduce outstanding works in the field of contemporary poetry and literature among different countries. It was mentioned in the announcement that the submitted works were reviewed by an international jury in various categories, and Shamim Frotan, a young poet from Afghanistan, succeeded in receiving the literary award. In recent years, the "Franco Louis" literary festival has been recognized as one of the important platforms for cultural exchange and showcasing literary talents at an international level. It is worth noting that Shamim Frotan was previously a journalist for the daily newspaper Rah-e-Madaniyat and 8Sobh, and after the takeover of the interim government in Afghanistan, he sought asylum in Italy. While Shamim Frotan succeeds in receiving a literary award, the interim government has deprived women and girls of education and learning opportunities since its takeover of Afghanistan. In its latest restriction, it closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, while the health sector across Afghanistan is facing a shortage of personnel. This action by the current government has resulted in millions of female students being unable to pursue education and learning. Additionally, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a mahram (male guardian), and working in domestic and international NGOs as well as even in UN offices in Afghanistan.

British media have reported that Shaheira Karimi, Rabia Nasimi, and Paymana Asad, three Afghan women who are British citizens and members of the Labour Party, have won in the local council elections in Britain. Reports indicate that the local council elections in London were held on Thursday and Friday, May 6 and 7. Paymana Asad, an Afghan-British woman, expressed her happiness about winning in the London local council elections. She wrote on her X account: "It was the hardest election of my life. But I succeeded. I was elected as the representative for the 'Roxeth' area for a third term." She further emphasized: "This is a message for those who hated me; those who told people I am not a true Muslim, called me a Zionist because my father is a Pashto-speaking Afghan from the south. They referred to me as a Taliban and threatened to kill me for speaking about foreign policy." Additionally, Shaheira Karimi, another Afghan-British woman and Labour Party candidate, has been elected as a member of the Ealing City Council in the 'Pitshanger' area. Rabia Nasimi, another Afghan-British woman, was declared one of the three winning candidates in the local council elections in West London, receiving over 1,200 votes. She wrote on her X account: "I am very proud to have been elected as a member of the Labour Council for East Now, alongside Stephen Donnelly and Hitesh Taylor. This campaign was long and challenging, and I sincerely thank everyone who trusted me and voted for me." Rabia Nasimi left Afghanistan with her family in 1999 when she was five years old and migrated to Britain. These women achieve success in their host country while women and girls in Afghanistan are denied even the most basic human rights. Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls cannot attend school beyond the sixth grade.

The Parliament of Catalonia in Spain has strongly condemned the "structural discrimination and systemic violence" against Hazaras in Afghanistan and called on the international community to establish independent mechanisms to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes. In a statement, the parliament called for support for Hazara refugees and strengthened resettlement policies, highlighting the worsening situation in Afghanistan in recent years and the imposition of restrictions on the rights of women, girls, and ethnic and religious minorities. The statement noted that Hazaras in Afghanistan have a long history of "exclusion, repression, discrimination, and organized violence" due to their ethnic and religious identity. Referring to historical background, the statement mentioned the "first phase of widespread, systematic, and state-sponsored violence" against Hazaras during the late 19th century under the rule of Abdur Rahman Khan. The Parliament of Catalonia also referenced a wave of violence against Hazaras in the years following 2001 and its further intensification during this period. In part of its statement, the Parliament emphasized support for the rights of Hazara victims and refugees, including humanitarian protection, asylum policies, and resettlement mechanisms. Catalonia's Parliament has also called on the European Union and the United Nations to establish or support independent mechanisms for investigating and documenting crimes against Hazaras. It is worth noting that earlier, the City Council of Barcelona in Spain also expressed concern over the situation of Hazaras in Afghanistan by passing a resolution and urged the international community to take immediate action to protect civilians and prevent further escalation of violence.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that Afghan refugee children in Pakistan are living in deprivation due to a lack of identity documents and fear of deportation. In a published report, the organization stated that 77% of the children surveyed have been deprived of access to education. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Mixed Migration Center examined the support needs of Afghan children and adolescents in Pakistan in their new report titled "Living in the Shadows." The report highlights that Afghan refugees, especially children and youth in Pakistan, face serious protection crises and deprivation of basic services. It shows that the lack of legal documentation and ongoing fear of detention and deportation have forced this vulnerable group to live in hiding. According to the data in this report, deprivation of education is one of the biggest challenges facing Afghan children in Pakistan, with about 77% of surveyed children having no access to education or vocational training. The report identifies the main reasons for this deprivation as financial difficulties, lack of identity documents, and the need to work. Nearly half of these children are also deprived of access to healthcare services, which exacerbates their vulnerability. Additionally, the situation is reported to be much worse for unaccompanied children. Statistics indicate that 73% of unaccompanied children are forced to work to support their living expenses, compared to 33% for children with guardians. Unaccompanied girls are also severely affected, with 82% resorting to work. Furthermore, a significant portion of these children lives in inadequate housing conditions. The United Nations has emphasized that the pressures from migration, poverty, and fear of deportation have detrimental effects on the mental health of Afghan children. According to this survey, 70% of children reported feeling depressed, and 44% experienced anxiety.