The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it has credible reports of serious human rights violations by the “de facto Taliban authorities against hundreds of former government officials and former armed forces members.”
“15 August 2021 to 30 June 2023, documented at least 800 instances of extrajudicial killing, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and ill-treatment and enforced disappearance carried out against individuals affiliated with the former government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its security forces,” the report reads. “UNAMA’s report presents a sobering picture of the treatment of individuals affiliated with the former government and security forces of Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of the country. Even more so, given they were assured that they would be not targeted, it is a betrayal of the people’s trust,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. “UNAMA has recorded at least 800 instances of extra judicial killing, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and ill-treatment and enforced disappearance carried out by the de facto authorities against former government officials and former security force members since the 15th of August 2021,” said Fiona Frazer, UNAMA’s chief of human rights.
“The release of this report further isolates the Taliban. This report by human rights organizations proves that the Taliban violates human rights,” said Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst.
The Islamic Emirate said UNAMA’s new report claiming that 800 members of the previous government were “killed and tortured” by the forces of the Islamic Emirate is not true.
“The recent report of the UN representative in Afghanistan, which says that more than 800 people of the previous administration were killed and tortured by the forces of the Islamic Emirate, is not true and far from reality. The amnesty of the Islamic Emirate is applicable generally. Of course, some personal and unknown cases of revenge have been seriously investigated by the relevant bodies of the Islamic Emirate, which are limited in number. Unfortunately, some organizations within the United Nations, instead of understanding the realities of Afghanistan and seeing positive developments, always seek negative aspects and spread propaganda, which indeed, damages their credibility,” Zabihullah Mujahid the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate said on his X (formerly Twitter) account. Meanwhile, Heather Barr, associate director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, criticized the world’s interaction with the Islamic Emirate. “They are flying around the world to high level meetings. They are being permitted to take over embassies and a growing number of capitals, they are signing business deals, and so, through those steps, the world is beginning to accept them and accept the human rights violations that they are committing as well, particularly against women and girls,” Barr said.
“The basic right of the children of this land is ignored: the right to education. We hope that the government of the Islamic Emirate will uphold the rights of all citizens, especially the women of Afghanistan,” said Tafsir Seyaposh, a women’s rights activist.
This comes as some countries of the world, including the US, consider the issue of the recognition of the Islamic Emirate to be related to women’s rights.
—PR
