Some former government soldiers, who sought refuge in Iran following the downfall of the previous regime, assert that upon deportation from that country, they become targets of the Taliban. They allege that the Taliban subject many returning former government soldiers from Iran to interrogation, imprisonment, and even assassination. These soldiers stress that the Taliban disregard their leader’s general amnesty decree and carry out “vengeful” activities. Former soldiers call upon international human rights organizations and the global community to intensify pressure on this faction due to their ongoing pursuit, detention, torture, humiliation, and even killings of former government soldiers and their families.
Thousands of former government soldiers who have gone to Iran due to poverty and security threats are still exposed to pursuit, detention, torture, humiliation, and even murder by the Taliban.
Continuing their reprisal against former security forces, the Taliban detained a former member of the previous government’s local police force, who had recently been deported from Iran to Afghanistan, in Parwan province last Thursday. After subjecting him to a day of torture, they released him, but he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
This former soldier was named Fawad and was a resident of the “Chobbakhsh” village of the Rabat area in the district of Bagram. According to sources, the Taliban handed over this former soldier to his family one day before his death while he was in poor health condition.
Another former soldier, known as Naazir, lost his life in the province of Parwan one year after being released from Taliban captivity. He had also gone to Iran after the fall of the previous government but was deported back to Afghanistan.
This former soldier died on Friday, April 26, in the village of “Khawaja Mohammad Khel” in the jurisdiction of Jabal Saraj district. According to sources, this former soldier had been detained three times about a year ago and subjected to “ruthless” torture in a Taliban security checkpoint in the Jabal Saraj district of the Parwan province.
Sources state that this former soldier was “paralyzed” months after his release from Taliban captivity. He had suffered injuries to his waist while in Taliban custody. Naazir was a member of the Ministry of Interior forces of the previous government and was stationed in the third security district of Charikar City. He leaves behind five orphaned children.
Furthermore, the Taliban killed an army officer of the previous government on Wednesday, January 17 last year, on the road named “Best-Mitra” in the Dasht-e Barchi area of Kabul city. This former soldier was named Ali Gul Hassani and was originally a resident of the Nawur district in Ghazni province. Ali Gul was also killed in Kabul shortly after returning from Iran.
On the other hand, the Taliban have detained hundreds of former government soldiers upon their return from Iran, either on the road or from their places of residence.
Some former government soldiers who seek refuge in Iran claim they fall into the hands of the Taliban upon forced expulsion to Afghanistan.
A former commander of the previous government’s special forces, who fled to Iran after the regime’s collapse, states that the Taliban interrogate most of the former government soldiers returning from Iran to Afghanistan and, in some cases, subject them to prolonged imprisonment or assassination. Speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, he emphasizes that the Taliban do not abide by their supreme leader’s general amnesty announcement and resort to “vengeful” actions.
The former soldier adds, “Former soldiers and their families lose their security and fall victim to the Taliban’s vengeful torture. The loss of employment leads to dire economic hardship for families.” He asserts that if they return to Afghanistan, they will face a vengeful life.
Expressing concern, the former soldier says, “Now thousands of soldiers returning from Iran to Afghanistan are being subjected to torture in Taliban prisons. If I am expelled from Iran, I will undoubtedly be killed. The Taliban detain soldiers using every possible deception and trick.”
Meanwhile, a former government soldier who spent five months in Taliban captivity states, “The Taliban’s interpretation of former soldiers who flee to Iran is that these soldiers trained in Iran and upon return to the country, they join the ranks of this group’s opponents. This is not the case, as former soldiers in Iran also live in a dreadful situation.”
He adds, “I was imprisoned for months, enduring the harshest torture. Until I bribed 150,000 Afghanis and was released from prison. For now, I live in fear.”
These former soldiers urge military rights advocacy organizations to support Afghan former soldiers with a systematic program and not remain silent against human rights violations, unlawful detentions, and massacres by the Taliban.
Abdullah (pseudonym), another former army soldier, tells the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “There is a need for increased international pressure on the Taliban, and countries, especially American authorities, need to take serious action to stop the detention, torture, humiliation, abuse, and killing of former soldiers of Afghanistan.”
Former soldiers also demand oversight of Taliban prisons for the release of former soldiers from the clutches of this group.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) previously published reports documenting cases of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, arrests, torture, and mistreatment of government officials and former soldiers, despite the Taliban’s emphasis on their commitment to their supreme leader’s general amnesty decree. However, the Taliban have denied involvement in extrajudicial killings, asserting that they are implementing the general amnesty and that any incidents that occurred were personal matters.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
اخراج مهاجران افغانستان از ایران؛ نظامیان حکومت پیشین به دام طالبان میافتند