Rainbow Afghanistan, a grassroots organisation that campaigns for LGBTQ+ rights in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, has hit out at the UN and other human rights organisations for ignoring their community in a furious open letter. The group said it is aware of LGBTQ+ people who have been tortured and killed since the militant group seized power in 2021. Some have fled to surrounding countries in a desperate bid to get to safety, while others have “lost their lives due to suicide”, Rainbow Afghanistan said. Meanwhile, some trans women and lesbians have been forced into marriage against their will, while others have been imprisoned by the Taliban due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, the group claimed.