The Human Rights Activists Union has expressed concern over reports of recent clashes in Yaftal district of Badakhshan province and the release of videos showing people allegedly being held hostage.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, July 18, the union said that no individual, regardless of political or military affiliation, should be subjected to torture, humiliation, forced confessions, or extrajudicial punishment while in captivity.
The group added that videos showing confessions by people in custody cannot serve as the basis for fair judgment when their freedom of choice and the circumstances under which the videos were recorded cannot be independently verified.
The union said: “In our view, the Taliban is an illegal group lacking legal legitimacy, and we strongly condemn any hostage-taking, arbitrary detention, torture, retaliation against local residents, or actions violating human dignity by this group.”
The Human Rights Activists Union stressed that protecting the lives of civilians is a legal responsibility of all parties involved in the conflict and called for measures to prevent violence and further civilian casualties.
The group called on international organizations to independently investigate and document the situation of the hostages and alleged human rights violations in Yaftal district.
