Left Behind

Following the West’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last August, thousands of people who served alongside European governments found themselves abandoned. At Lighthouse, a series of investigations uncovered how people working in roles linked to European governments, who were eligible for evacuation, are still living in fear under the Taliban. We verified the identities and documents of dozens of people who were subject to torture, or killed. We speak to Lighthouse contributor Abbas Azimi who played a key role in finding sources, examining documents, and interviewing people. This story is personal for Abbas too because he also left Afghanistan in August 2021, as his work for the Afghan government and international organisations like the World Bank posed a danger to his life. Read the investigations at lighthousereports.com