UNAMA has recently released a report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, revealing the Taliban’s ongoing serious violations of women’s rights, torture and detention of former military personnel, extrajudicial killings, corporal punishments, executions, and media pressure. Notably, the report highlights the escalating restrictions on women’s employment and movement. Moreover, the alarming frequency of suicide and explosive attacks on religious sites remains a grave concern. Since the Taliban’s takeover, 1,095 civilians have lost their lives, and 2,679 others have been injured. The majority of these casualties, three-quarters to be exact, resulted from grenade explosions and suicide attacks in densely populated areas, such as places of worship, schools, and markets. The attacks on religious sites alone caused the death of 368 civilians and left 850 others injured. The report underscores the imperative of thorough investigations into past incidents and the implementation of protective measures to prevent their recurrence.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) published a report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan on Monday, July 17. According to UNAMA, this report focuses on the human rights situation in May and June of this year. The report highlights the Taliban’s escalation of restrictions on the rights and freedoms of women and girls during the past two months.
Increase in Restrictions on Women
UNAMA’s report sheds light on the statistical state of restrictions and violations of women’s rights by the Taliban. According to the report, on May 3, 2023, the Taliban prohibited female doctors from taking the Ministry of Public Health’s specialization program exam. Prior to this, the Taliban had also prevented female students from participating in the government’s Exit Exam. The report further reveals that the Taliban detained two female employees of an international organization at one of the airports for not having a male guardian, as required by their interpretation of religious law. Additionally, the group’s intelligence operatives detained and threatened a midwife while she was going to her workplace, resulting in her resignation from her duties two days later.
According to this report, the Taliban’s “Propagator of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice,” also known as the Moral Police, intervened in non-governmental organizations that employed women. The report further reveals that the Taliban’s Moral Police confiscated the property of a non-governmental organization led by a woman and revoked the licenses of two other organizations also headed by women. The organization highlighted that these stringent restrictions on Afghan women employees have significantly impacted UNAMA’s activities.
Civilian Casualties: “1,095 Civilians Killed Under the Taliban Rule”
UNAMA expressed concern over civilian casualties resulting from suicide attacks and improvised explosive devices. At the time of compiling this report, 15 civilians were killed, and 49 others were injured. Referring to their previous findings, UNAMA mentioned that since the Taliban’s takeover until now, 1,095 civilians have been killed, and 2,679 others injured. The report indicated that three-quarters of civilian casualties resulted from grenade explosions and suicide attacks in densely populated areas, including places of worship, schools, and markets. It also highlighted that attacks on religious sites caused the deaths of 368 civilians and injuries to 850 others.
The report further emphasized that suicide attacks continue to be a significant concern even after the Taliban’s control of Afghanistan, and it appears that the death toll resulting from such events has increased. The report stressed that the Taliban must respect the right to life without fear of attack. UNAMA underscored the vital importance of investigating past events and implementing protective measures to prevent their recurrence. The report mentioned that during May and June, explosions of leftover war materials caused the deaths of 19 civilians and injured 26 others, with the majority of them being children.
Corporal Punishments, Executions, and Extrajudicial Killings
In its report, UNAMA has documented cases where the Taliban issued sentences for corporal punishments and executions without considering individuals’ human rights. For instance, the report mentions the Taliban publicly flogging a woman in Parwan province and six men in Kandahar province. The organization also reported that the Taliban executed a 35-year-old man by firing squad on the accusation of “killing three children and one man in two separate incidents.” Prior to that, the Taliban had executed a man in Farah province in the presence of several of their leaders.
In its report, UNAMA stated that the Taliban continues to engage in arbitrary and extrajudicial detentions of former government military personnel, particularly in Panjshir and Kabul provinces. The report highlighted that these individuals were mostly detained on charges of “collaboration with the National Resistance Front (NRF).” As an example of extrajudicial killings, the report mentioned the deaths of two former military personnel in Samangan and Takhar provinces. The Taliban executed these two former military personnel by firing squad on May 17 and 24 this year. Additionally, the report documented cases of extrajudicial killings by the Taliban in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, under the pretext of “collaboration with the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K).”
The Taliban Arbitrarily Detaining Journalists
According to this report, the Taliban have taken steps to establish monitoring committees for media activities in provinces, but they have not provided any statements clarifying the exact purpose of these committees. UNAMA added that these committees operate under the supervision of the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, and they include members from the intelligence and Moral Police departments of the group. The organization reported at least one incident where one of these committees conducted an unannounced inspection of a radio station.
UNAMA further stated that journalists perceive these unannounced inspections as further restrictions on media freedom. The report highlighted a trip by a delegation of 63 Taliban intelligence officials to the northern and northeastern regions of the country, emphasizing the imposition of media restrictions. The report mentioned that the Taliban continue to arbitrarily detain and capture journalists, citing the example of the detention of four journalists in Khost province in May 2023 and the detention of Mortaza Behboudi, a French journalist.
The Taliban’s Moral Police Activities Contradict Women’s Fundamental Rights
According to the UNAMA report, the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice issues orders that violate the fundamental rights and daily lives of women and girls. On May 6, the Taliban issued a directive in Kandahar province, prohibiting women from going to cemeteries and shrines. Additionally, they issued a 13-point order to close women’s beauty salons in Herat province. The report states that the Taliban Moral Police detain and mistreat those who they believe do not comply with their orders. It is mentioned that the Taliban publicly lashed several men and women in Daikundi province during inspections to enforce beard and veil regulations.
UNAMA expresses concern over the human rights situation in Afghanistan. Previously, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and the UN working group on discrimination against women and girls deeply lamented the systematic repression of women’s rights and the ongoing dire human rights situation. These two UN authorities have stated that the Taliban engages in the most extreme form of misogynistic practices by dismantling legal and organizational frameworks in Afghanistan.