Iran Carries Out Mass Expulsion of Afghan Refugees

About 800,000 people have been deported to Afghanistan, a desperately poor country, under an Iranian campaign that accelerated sharply in June.

Hundreds of thousands of hungry, exhausted and often battered Afghans have been expelled from Iran in recent weeks, under a harsh deportation drive that accelerated sharply last month, international aid workers say.

Since March, when Iranian authorities ordered undocumented residents to leave the country, about 800,000 Afghans have poured across the border, Babar Baloch, a spokesman for the United Nations’ refugee agency, said on Monday. Almost 600,000 of them have been forced out since June 1.

During and since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last month, Iranian officials have repeatedly cast suspicion on Afghans as possible spies for Israel, amplifying longstanding rumors and tensions. In that environment, and with the approach of a July 6 deadline set by the Iranian government, the pace of migrations soared to an average of about 30,000 per day recently, peaking on Friday at more than 50,000 people crossing into Afghanistan, Mr. Baloch said.

Iran has ranked as the world’s biggest host country for refugees, with nearly 3.5 million according to the United Nations, primarily people who fled decades of war and violence in Afghanistan. Aid groups estimate that in reality, the Afghan population in Iran is much larger — including about two million refugees who are undocumented — and Iran’s patience with them appears to have run out.

Iranian authorities say that Afghans with proper documents are still accepted, and U.N. officials confirm that some of those returning to Afghanistan in recent weeks had received visas from Iran’s consulate in the western town of Herat to go back to Iran. But most Afghans in Iran face a harsher reality.

“The gloves are off,” Arafat Jamal, the U.N. refugee agency representative in Kabul said in a phone interview. “There’s a bit of a frenzy at the moment, no one is going to oppose deportations of Afghans right now so those who wish to deport them have been ramping it up.”

Even before the war, Afghans faced barbed taunts about taking subsidized food from the mouths of Iranians.

Returnees, including refugees with valid legal documentation for being in Iran, describe being picked up by the police from their places of work or seized on the street, and then being forced into buses and held in detention sites before being transported to the border. They also relate endless extortionate demands for bribes to get out of detention centers, onto buses or finally to get across the border.

The returnees, from urban professionals to day laborers, include many who were born in Iran, have never set foot in Afghanistan and are more attuned to Iranian culture and society than the more draconian rule of the Taliban, Mr. Jamal said.

“The big concern is what happens to these people. They are from this country but hardly of it,” Mr. Jamal said. “They are bewildered, disoriented and very sad at leaving their work or their lives in Iran.”

But their arrival also imposes a heavy strain on the resources and, potentially, the stability of communities in Afghanistan, where nearly half the population lives below the poverty line and millions go short of food. Afghanistan, with a population of about 44 million, has absorbed more than 3.5 million returnees since September 2023, U.N. officials say, including hundreds of thousands forced to leave Pakistan.

Western aid donors, deterred by the Taliban’s brutal disdain for women and human rights have left international aid agencies with scant capacity to help. The U.N. refugee agency reports its appeal for $216 million in 2025 for Afghanistan is only a little over one-quarter funded.

The United States previously accounted for about 40 percent of the refugee agency’s budget, but the Trump administration has slashed that support.

Iran Carries Out Mass Expulsion of Afghan Refugees
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Germany urges action on Afghanistan’s Human Rights Crisis

 

Germany’s UN envoy voiced deep concern over Afghanistan’s worsening human rights crisis, especially for women and girls, and reaffirmed Berlin’s commitment to supporting the people of Afghanistan.

Germany’s representative to the United Nations has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan, especially regarding the rights of women and girls.

On Monday, July 7, Antje Leendertse, Germany’s UN envoy, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to supporting the Afghanistan people during a UN session.

She praised the efforts of UNAMA and other UN bodies working to improve living conditions in Afghanistan under difficult circumstances.

She also noted Germany’s continued support for the Doha process led by the United Nations, aiming for constructive dialogue on Afghanistan’s future.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, women and girls in Afghanistan have faced sweeping restrictions, including bans on secondary and higher education, public jobs, and freedom of movement.

The UN and international community have repeatedly condemned these policies as violations of basic human rights, calling for inclusive governance and the restoration of women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Germany urges action on Afghanistan’s Human Rights Crisis
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ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women, girls

The Washington Post
July 8, 2025

The court charged two Taliban leaders with committing crimes against humanity. A spokesman for the group said it did not recognize the court’s authority

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants Tuesday for two leaders of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, alleging that the Afghan government’s persecution of women and girls constitutes crimes against humanity.

The warrants are for Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of the Taliban, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the Taliban. A spokesman for the regime said the Taliban did not recognize the International Criminal Court and would not abide by its orders.

The Taliban, a group that espouses an extremist version of Islam, has imposed increasingly severe restrictions on women since taking power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Within weeks of toppling the U.S.-backed previous regime, the Taliban abolished the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and banned women from receiving a secondary education or attaining most jobs. The group also imposed a rule barring women from traveling outside without a male chaperone.

“We do not recognize any entity under the title of the ‘International Court,’ nor do we acknowledge any obligation toward it,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a social media post Tuesday. “The leadership and officials of the Islamic Emirate have established unparalleled justice in Afghanistan based on the sacred laws of Islamic sharia. Labeling the laws of Islamic sharia as oppressive or against humanity … is a clear expression of enmity and hatred toward the pure religion of Islam and its legal system.”

Afghanistan has the second-worst gender gap in the world, according to a report released last month by the UN that cited major gender disparities in areas relating to heath, education and financial inclusion.

Afghan women have also faced soaring rates of domestic and sexual violence, including at the hands of the Taliban. Women detained by the Taliban have reported being raped and tortured in prison.

The 125 nations party to the International Criminal Court are bound by law to detain the Taliban leaders if they set foot on their soil, though the likelihood of an arrest remains slim. Akhundzada and Haqqani could simply refrain from traveling to countries that recognize the Court’s authority or avoid leaving Afghanistan entirely.

The case is “the first international criminal proceedings involving targeting of LGBTQI+ individuals, individuals who do not conform to the gender expectations of an autocratic regime,” said Beth Van Schaack, the United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice during the Biden administration. “It’s a huge step from the perspective of international criminal justice, in terms of opening up a line of prosecution and potentially creating a really important precedent.”

Afghanistan’s Taliban government remains isolated from much of the world, which has yet to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate ruling power in the country. Russia became the first country to diplomatically recognize the regime on Thursday.

Though the specific contents of the warrants remain sealed, the proceedings likely draw on the work of newsrooms and civil society groups who collected testimony from women in Afghanistan. Many of these organizations, including Zan Times, have been hit hard by the Trump administration’s funding cuts. The White House is looking to further reduce financial support for war crimes investigations, Reuters reported last month.

We work with journalists on the ground to be “able to bring those violations to the light,” Nader said. “However, with lack of funding, that work has become much more difficult for us to do. They’re creating a perfect situation for the Taliban to commit crime.”

ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women, girls
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WFP Warns: 10 Million Afghans Face Hunger, Only 1 Million Can Be Helped

Despite rising humanitarian needs, the reduction in aid has left millions of Afghan families facing severe economic and humanitarian challenges.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has once again raised concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

The UN-affiliated organization states that this summer, ten million people in Afghanistan are in urgent need of food assistance; however, due to funding shortages, it can only support one million of them.

According to economic experts, the solution to reducing poverty in Afghanistan lies in fostering active relations with neighboring countries and making effective use of the country’s natural resources.

Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic affairs analyst, said: “To curb poverty, we must consider two key strategies: first, maintaining constructive and effective international relations; and second, utilizing both renewable and non-renewable natural and human resources efficiently. Therefore, with proper management, these resources must be used wisely and effectively.”

Following recent political developments, Afghanistan now tops the list of countries over which the global community has expressed deep humanitarian concerns.

Despite rising humanitarian needs, the reduction in aid has left millions of Afghan families facing severe economic and humanitarian challenges.

Mohammad Javid, a resident of Kabul, said: “If there were aid, we could manage. Even without work, we somehow got by. But when there is work, we don’t need aid. There are plenty of street carts, and they distribute cards to people but we don’t have any connections to get one.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy says it has launched programs to fight poverty and unemployment, which, if implemented, could help improve the overall situation.

Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy, stated: “Simply distributing food aid cannot fully address the needs of our people. Instead, lifting economic sanctions and international support for programs that strengthen families, create jobs, and enhance purchasing power can lead to real economic improvement.”

Unemployment, reduced foreign aid, natural disasters, and lack of access to adequate health and education services are among the key drivers of poverty and malnutrition in Afghanistan challenges that have forced families into displacement and pushed children into hard labor.

WFP Warns: 10 Million Afghans Face Hunger, Only 1 Million Can Be Helped
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UN Resolution on Afghanistan: Islamic Emirate and Global Reactions

Russia, maintaining formal relations with the interim Afghan government, criticized the Western-centric approach to resolving Afghanistan’s issues.

The Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that it will review the recently adopted UN General Assembly resolution on Afghanistan in accordance with Islamic principles and national interests. While acknowledging that some humanitarian realities in Afghanistan were overlooked, the Ministry emphasized its commitment to assessing the resolution’s recommendations within the framework of Islamic guidelines and national priorities.

In response to the resolution, Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at the Ministry, said: “Despite this, the Islamic Emirate will evaluate the stated demands and suggestions in this resolution within the framework of the guidance of the noble religion of Islam and national interests, and will determine areas where cooperation is possible.”

The resolution, passed with 116 votes in favor, 2 against (the United States and Israel), and 12 abstentions (including Russia, China, India, and Iran), calls on Afghanistan’s ruling authorities to reverse oppressive policies against women and girls and to dismantle terrorist organizations operating within the country.

Russia, maintaining formal relations with the interim Afghan government, criticized the Western-centric approach to resolving Afghanistan’s issues and emphasized constructive engagement with the interim authorities.

“We are disappointed by the open refusal of some Western colleagues to even mention the role of certain regional mechanisms in the section on regional cooperation that was created specifically for this purpose, even though these mechanisms remain the only platform for regional interaction on a wide range of issues,” said Anna Evstigneeva, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN.

China reiterated its support for the interim government while encouraging the formation of an inclusive political structure. Geng Shuang, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, stated: “We encourage the interim government of Afghanistan to establish an inclusive political structure and a moderate administration, emphasizing dialogue and consultation to achieve national reconciliation and internal unity.”

Qatar and Saudi Arabia also emphasized in the UN General Assembly the importance of coordinated international efforts on Afghanistan and support for political stability in the country.

Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Qatar’s Representative to the UN, said: “The State of Qatar stresses the importance of solidarity and joint international efforts so that the people of Afghanistan can build a country governed by peace, stability, and development.”

Abdulaziz Al-Wasel, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, also said: “Saudi Arabia reaffirms its commitment to continue supporting political, humanitarian, and developmental efforts aimed at stabilizing Afghanistan and again urges the international community not to abandon Afghanistan.”

On the other hand, the European Union and Germany have called for the appointment of a UN Special Envoy for Afghanistan and support for the UN-led Doha process.

The United States, which has yet to take a clear stance on the caretaker government, appears dissatisfied with the ongoing efforts to resolve Afghan issues.

Stavros Lambrinidis, EU Representative to the UN, said: “The EU also calls for the appointment of a UN Special Envoy for Afghanistan, in line with UNSC resolution 2721, to facilitate international coordination, promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and support the implementation of the Comprehensive Approach roadmap.”

Antje Leendertse, Germany’s UN Representative, said: “As many others, Germany acknowledges that there is no alternative to engagement with the Taliban, and we will continue to actively contribute to the UN-led Doha process.”

“With regard to international cooperation and the UN-led Doha process, it too has yielded few sustainable results. The United States is deeply skeptical about the Taliban’s willingness to participate in good faith. When they are willing to engage, it is only on their terms and to the detriment of our interests,” said Jonathan Shrier, U.S. Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council.

The UN General Assembly’s discussion on Afghanistan once again highlighted that nearly four years on, the international community has not reached a comprehensive agreement on the issue. The outcomes of future meetings on Afghanistan remain to be seen.

UN Resolution on Afghanistan: Islamic Emirate and Global Reactions
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Recognition of the Islamic Emirate a Bilateral Matter: UN

By TOLOnews

UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, emphasized that the UN’s position on the issue remains unchanged.

Stéphane Dujarric said: “The issue of recognition is a bilateral issue between those who recognize each other.  For ourselves, our work in Afghanistan remains unchanged as mandated by the Security Council.”

Political analysts believe that if the caretaker government adheres to the legitimate demands of the international community, it could lead to its recognition even by European countries.

Sayed Ebadullah Sadiq, a political analyst, said: “The Islamic Emirate must understand what the international community expects from them and also pay attention to the rights of all Afghans, including both women and men.”

Another political analyst, Moeen Gul Samkani, said: “From a diplomatic perspective, it is the right path, but based on their intentions, it seems the West still does not want to take such action. The Islamic Emirate must do more to eventually engage in dialogue with countries that are unwilling or have taken opposing stances.”

This comes as Russia last week became the first country to officially recognize the Islamic Emirate.

Recognition of the Islamic Emirate a Bilateral Matter: UN
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ICC issues warrants for Taliban leaders over alleged persecution of women

Al Jazeera
Published On 8 Jul 2025

Judges say Taliban officials have ‘severely deprived’ girls and women of human rights, including education.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders in Afghanistan on charges of abuses against women and girls.

ICC judges on Tuesday said there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhunzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani of committing gender-based persecution.

“While the Taliban have imposed certain rules and prohibitions on the population as a whole, they have specifically targeted girls and women by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms,” the court said in a statement.

The Taliban has “severely deprived” girls and women of the rights to education, privacy, family life and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion, ICC judges said.

“In addition, other persons were targeted because certain expressions of sexuality and/or gender identity were regarded as inconsistent with the Taliban’s policy on gender,” the court added.

The Taliban was quick to reject the warrants as “baseless rhetoric”, saying that it does not recognise the ICC’s authority and invoking the court’s failure to protect the “hundreds of women and children being killed daily” in Gaza.

“The leadership and officials of the Islamic Emirate have established unparalleled justice in Afghanistan based on the sacred laws of Islamic Sharia,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban government, said in a statement.

Late in 2022, several Muslim-majority countries – including Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar – condemned the Taliban’s decision to restrict education for women.

The ICC said on Tuesday that the alleged crimes were committed from August 15, 2021, when the Taliban seized power after the withdrawal of United States forces, and continued until at least January 20 of this year.

The court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, sought the warrants in January, saying that “Afghan women and girls as well as the LGBTQI+ community are facing an unprecedented, unconscionable and ongoing persecution by the Taliban”.

Last year, the United Nations accused the Taliban government of barring at least 1.4 million girls from their right to an education during its time in power.

Taking into account the number of girls not going to school before the group came to power, the UN said 80 percent of Afghan school-age girls – a total of 2.5 million – were being denied their right to an education.

Authorities also imposed restrictions on women working for nongovernmental groups and other jobs.

Beauty salons have been closed and women blocked from visiting public parks and gyms as well as travelling long distances without a male chaperone.

A “vice and virtue” law announced a year ago ordered women not to sing or recite poetry in public and for their voices and bodies to be “concealed” outside the home.

The rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) welcomed the ICC warrants on Tuesday.

“The announcement is an important development that gives hope, inside and outside the country, to Afghan women, girls, as well as those persecuted on the basis of gender identity or expression,” Amnesty International chief Agnes Callamard said in a statement.

“This is a crucial step to hold accountable all those allegedly responsible for the gender-based deprivation of fundamental rights to education, to free movement and free expression, to private and family life, to free assembly, and to physical integrity and autonomy.”

For its part, HRW called on the international community to “fully back the ICC in its critical work in Afghanistan and globally, including through concerted efforts to enforce the court’s warrants”.

Last year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crime charges in Gaza, including using starvation as a weapon of war.

But several Western members of the court have refused to commit to enforcing the warrants. Earlier this year, Poland said it would allow Netanyahu to visit the country, and Hungary hosted the Israeli prime minister and withdrew from the Rome Statute that established the ICC.

The ICC, based in The Hague, was set up to rule on the world’s worst crimes, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity. It has no police force of its own, and relies on member states to carry out its arrest warrants.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
ICC issues warrants for Taliban leaders over alleged persecution of women
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UN adopts resolution on Afghanistan’s Taliban rule over US objections

By EDITH LEDERER

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution Monday over U.S. objections calling on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organizations.

The 11-page resolution also emphasizes “the importance of creating opportunities for economic recovery, development and prosperity in Afghanistan,” and urges donors to address the country’s dire humanitarian and economic crisis.

The resolution is not legally binding but is seen as a reflection of world opinion. The vote was 116 in favor, with two — the United States and close ally Israel — opposed and 12 abstentions, including Russia, China, India and Iran.

Since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures, banning women from public places and girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade. Last week, Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’s government.

The core message of the resolution, she said, is to tell Afghan mothers holding sick and underfed children or mourning victims of terrorist attacks, as well as the millions of Afghan women and girls locked up at home, that they have not been forgotten.

U.S. minister-counselor Jonathan Shrier was critical of the resolution, which he said rewards “the Taliban’s failure with more engagement and more resources.” He said the Trump administration doubts they will ever pursue policies “in accordance with the expectations of the international community.”

“For decades we shouldered the burden of supporting the Afghan people with time, money and, most important, American lives,” he said. “It is the time for the Taliban to step up. The United States will no longer enable their heinous behavior.”

The resolution expresses appreciation to governments hosting Afghan refugees, singling out the two countries that have taken the most: Iran and Pakistan. Shrier also objected to this, accusing Iran of executing Afghans “at an alarming rate without due process” and forcibly conscripting Afghans into its militias.

While the resolution notes improvements in Afghanistan’s overall security situation, it reiterates concern about attacks by al-Qaida and Islamic State militants and their affiliates. It calls upon Afghanistan “to take active measures to tackle, dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organizations equally and without discrimination.”

The General Assembly also encouraged U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a coordinator to facilitate “a more coherent, coordinated and structured approach” to its international engagements on Afghanistan.

UN adopts resolution on Afghanistan’s Taliban rule over US objections
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UN Official: Iran accuses hundreds of Afghan migrants of spying

A UN official reported that Iran has accused hundreds of Afghan migrants of spying, raising concerns over arbitrary arrests and human rights violations.

Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has expressed serious concern over the arrest of hundreds of Afghan migrants in Iran, including members of ethnic and religious minority groups, on allegations of spying for Israel.

In a post on X on Saturday, July 5, Bennett stated that Iranian police have accused Afghan migrants of espionage and reportedly used violence during arrests. He also condemned the use of abusive and degrading language toward Afghan refugees by Iranian authorities.

Experts stated: “The post-war situation should not be used as an opportunity to suppress dissent and increase repression.”

They acknowledged the impact of the recent military attacks by Israel and the United States and expressed concern over reports of executions, enforced disappearances, and mass arrests.

UN experts noted that since June 13, at least six individuals, including three Kurdish men, have reportedly been executed on charges of spying for Israel.

Several Afghan returnees have shared similar experiences, claiming that Iranian police repeatedly detained and accused them of being spies. These claims align with broader concerns raised by international human rights organizations.

UN experts have voiced worry that, in the wake of recent Israeli attacks, Iranian law enforcement has been targeting minority communities, particularly Afghan migrants, through arbitrary detentions and possible torture.

According to multiple reports, dozens of Afghan citizens have been detained during recent cross-border tensions, accused of espionage without credible evidence or transparent legal process.

Afghanistan’s prolonged humanitarian crisis, following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, has forced millions of Afghans to seek refuge in neighboring countries, including Iran.

Iran currently hosts over three million Afghan nationals, many of whom live in undocumented, vulnerable conditions, exposed to abuse, detention, and forced deportation.

With Iran-Israel tensions intensifying, especially amid regional military escalations, experts fear that foreign nationals, particularly refugees, may continue to face collective punishment and scapegoating.

UN Official: Iran accuses hundreds of Afghan migrants of spying
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Trump slams Afghanistan withdrawal as “Most Shameful Moment” in US History

Khaama Press

Trump called the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan the most shameful moment in American history, vowing never to allow such failure again.

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again condemned the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, calling it “perhaps the most shameful moment in the history of our country.” His remarks were made during the signing of a major new tax bill in Washington.

Speaking at the event, Trump criticized the Biden administration, stating, “We endured four terrible and humiliating years. Afghanistan may be the most shameful moment in the history of our country. We will never let anything like that happen again.”

He emphasized that under his leadership, he would never allow a repeat of such a scenario, referencing the chaotic and deadly U.S. exit from Kabul in August 2021. “Never again will we see something like Afghanistan,” he said firmly.

During the same event, Trump celebrated the state of the U.S. economy and praised the impact of the new tax legislation. He claimed that the U.S. is currently experiencing an unprecedented investment wave, saying, “Nearly $15 trillion is flowing into the country—nothing like this has ever happened before.”

The president concluded by highlighting the uniqueness of this economic moment: “Even in the past, nothing has come close to this level of investment and growth.”

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, completed in August 2021, marked the end of America’s 20-year military presence. The rapid collapse of the Afghanistan government and the Taliban’s takeover shocked the world, triggering a chaotic evacuation and global criticism.

Since then, the withdrawal has remained a highly polarizing issue in U.S. politics. While Democrats argue the decision ended an unwinnable war, Republicans—led by Trump—have consistently framed it as a catastrophic failure that damaged America’s global standing.

Trump slams Afghanistan withdrawal as “Most Shameful Moment” in US History
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