Etilaatroz Foundation

Supporting independent journalism on Afghanistan

Etilaatroz Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to sustaining independent journalism and strengthening public access to reliable information about Afghanistan. The foundation supports the work of Etilaatroz and its affiliated platforms, including KabulNow and Sanjah, ensuring that investigative reporting and fact-based journalism continue despite censorship, displacement, and political pressure.

Etilaatroz’s work has been covered by international media and has received international recognition.

Dr. Habiba Sarabi Named to Etilaatroz Foundation Board of Directors

March 26, 2026

William McCarren Named Chair of Etilaatroz Foundation Board

March 26, 2026

Investigative Journalism

Exposing corruption, documenting human rights violations, and scrutinizing power through in-depth reporting.

Reporting

Delivering verified coverage of political, social, and economic developments shaping Afghanistan.

Fact-Checking

Identifying false claims, challenging misinformation, and reinforcing accuracy in public discourse through Sanjah.

Journalism Training & Capacity Building

Providing training, mentorship, and support to enable journalists to produce independent reporting.

Forced deportation to death; The complicity of the European Union with Türkiye in expelling refugees

This report investigates the forced deportation of Afghan migrants, showing how returns expose them to serious risks including violence and death. It highlights concerns over violations of non-refoulement, the prohibition of collective expulsion, and the lack of fair asylum procedures under EU and Turkish obligations.

Investigation

Law of the Gun; How Local Conflicts Became Extortion Sprees

This report investigates how local land disputes have turned into systems of coercion under Taliban rule, with armed groups forcing communities to pay large sums as “compensation.” It shows how the collapse of legal protections has enabled extortion, displacement, and loss of livelihoods for vulnerable communities.

Fact-check

Taliban’s Claim of Non-Interference in Humanitarian Aid Distribution Is False

This report fact-checks the Taliban’s claim of non-interference in humanitarian aid and finds it false. Drawing on UN and SIGAR findings, it shows that authorities impose conditions, pressure organizations, and seek to benefit from assistance, undermining the independence and fairness of humanitarian operations.

Help Us Continue Reporting from Inside Afghanistan

Etilaatroz continues to report from inside Afghanistan under increasingly difficult conditions.

After the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021, we chose not to shut down. That decision came at a cost. In the first days of the takeover, three of our journalists were brutally beaten. As threats escalated, we were forced to suspend our Kabul newsroom and relocate staff where possible.

Independent media in Afghanistan has largely collapsed. Etilaatroz did not. Today, we operate from a small newsroom in Maryland while our reporters and photographers continue working inside Afghanistan under severe security and financial constraints.

We are transitioning to a nonprofit foundation model to secure long-term sustainability. During this transition, we face a critical short-term funding gap.

People in Afghanistan are hungry for reliable news and information, and the world needs to know what is happening on the ground in Afghanistan. Without immediate support, this reporting will be reduced. When independent journalism disappears, what happens in Afghanistan is less likely to be reported or scrutinized.

Your support helps ensure that this reporting continues.

Supporting independent journalism on Afghanistan

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Updates

Dr. Habiba Sarabi Named to Etilaatroz Foundation Board of Directors

William McCarren Named Chair of Etilaatroz Foundation Board