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AfghanEvac warns US court ruling does not reopen door for Afghans
However, VanDiver stressed that the policy struck down by the court is separate from a broader entry proclamation that took effect on January 1, 2026.
AfghanEvac has welcomed a US federal court ruling that overturned a State Department policy suspending immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, but warned that the decision does not reopen the main pathway to the United States for most Afghan applicants.
In a statement issued on Saturday, August 22, AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said the August 21 ruling in Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) v. Rubio correctly found that the government had ordered consular officers to refuse applicants who had already been determined to be eligible for immigrant visas based on their country of birth.
However, VanDiver stressed that the policy struck down by the court is separate from a broader entry proclamation that took effect on January 1, 2026.
“What the court struck down is the 75-country visa pause that took effect January 21, 2026,” VanDiver said. “What remains fully in force is the entry proclamation that took effect January 1, 2026.”
According to AfghanEvac, that proclamation suspends the entry of Afghan nationals and does not provide a broad categorical exemption for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders. The organization said the entry proclamation was not before the court and therefore was not affected by the ruling.
“For most Afghan families, the door did not open yesterday,” VanDiver said.
AfghanEvac urged applicants and their families not to make travel arrangements, visit US embassies or consulates without scheduled appointments, or take action based solely on media reports.
The organization also warned applicants against withdrawing or refiling applications or paying individuals who claim that US immigration pathways for Afghans have reopened.
VanDiver said that applicants whose visa refusals were based solely on the now-vacated 75-country suspension could have their cases returned to a consular officer for a new decision.
However, he stressed that there is no deadline or guarantee that those applications will ultimately be approved.
Applicants whose refusals were based on other grounds, including the separate entry proclamation, remain in the same position as before the court ruling, AfghanEvac said.
“This ruling does not solve the problem,” VanDiver said. “It removes one unlawful barrier and leaves the central one standing.”
AfghanEvac called on the US State Department to provide clear guidance to diplomatic posts and to readjudicate cases returned to consular officers following the court ruling.
The organization also called on the Trump administration to restore an exemption for Afghan allies who have already earned Special Immigrant Visas and urged Congress to take further action.
VanDiver said Afghan allies who worked alongside US forces should not be left in legal uncertainty after having served the United States.
The court decision therefore represents a significant change for some immigrant visa applicants, but AfghanEvac cautioned that it should not be interpreted as a general reopening of US entry for Afghan nationals or as an immediate lifting of restrictions affecting Afghan SIV holders.
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Muttaqi and Iranian representative discuss expansion of bilateral relations
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met on Wednesday with Mohammad Reza Bahrami, a representative of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of the eighth meeting of the Moscow Format and discussed ways to expand bilateral relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two sides exchanged views on Afghanistan-Iran relations, regional developments, and ways to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Muttaqi expressed appreciation for Iran’s engagement with Afghanistan and its constructive participation in regional meetings, emphasizing the need to further expand relations between Kabul and Tehran.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Bahrami stressed the importance of relations between the two countries and shared Iran’s views on regional cooperation, stability, and expanding economic engagement between Afghanistan and Iran.
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British special forces could face prosecution over alleged Afghanistan crimes
The UK Ministry of Defence identified material suggesting that British service personnel may have committed “serious offences” in Afghanistan, including possible murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, a High Court hearing in London was told.
The information was referred by UK Special Forces (UKSF) to the Defence Serious Crime Command earlier this year, The Independent reported.
According to the court, any criminal investigation into the allegations has been paused pending the outcome of the Afghanistan Inquiry.
The inquiry, chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, is examining allegations that UK special forces unlawfully killed people during operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, as well as claims of a subsequent cover-up.
It is also investigating allegations of inadequate investigations by the Royal Military Police.
The latest court proceedings relate to a senior British soldier, identified only as Witness IIA126, who is challenging the inquiry’s decision to restrict his and his lawyers’ access to certain evidence.
His lawyer, Kate Grange KC, argued that the restrictions had prevented the soldier from reviewing evidence concerning an allegation that a person was shot in the head while possibly asleep during a “deliberate detention operation.”
The inquiry is opposing the legal challenge, arguing that the restrictions were necessary to protect the identities of witnesses whose evidence was considered highly sensitive.
Jonathan Glasson KC, representing the inquiry, told the court that the discovery of material potentially indicating serious offences did not mean that any particular individual would necessarily face criminal charges.
The inquiry is expected to continue its examination of the allegations, with a written judgment on the latest legal challenge due at a later date.
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Afghan agriculture minister in Tashkent for international forum
Afghanistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Attaullah Omari, has arrived in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, to attend an international forum on food security and sustainable development.
Omari is visiting Tashkent at the invitation of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture and is scheduled to participate in the Global Technical Forum for Landlocked Countries on Food Security and Sustainable Development Goals, being held from October 7 to 8.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture said the visit will provide an opportunity to discuss expanding bilateral and regional cooperation with Uzbekistan in agriculture, irrigation, livestock, trade and investment.
The Afghan delegation is also expected to meet officials and representatives from participating countries to discuss agricultural exports, trade, investment opportunities, and the exchange of technical knowledge and expertise.
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