In the two-year span of the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan, most human rights organizations have accused this group of widespread human rights violations and the killing of former military personnel. Recently, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report, detailing the registration of 800 cases of human rights violations committed by the Taliban. The report states that the Taliban are responsible for extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, and mistreatment of former security forces and previous government officials. According to the report, 218 cases of extrajudicial killings of former military personnel have been carried out by this group in 34 provinces of the country, with the highest number of human rights violations recorded in Kabul, Kandahar, and Balkh provinces. The report also indicates that the Taliban have been implicated in at least 14 cases of forced disappearances and 424 cases of self-initiated detentions of former security forces and government employees. The report categorizes extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, torture, and mistreatment as “grave crimes” under international law. The organization has urged the Taliban to take necessary actions to prevent further human rights violations.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in its recent report, has attributed 800 cases of human rights violations to the Taliban. UNAMA states that over the past two years, this group has continued acts of mistreatment, torture, arbitrary detentions, and extrajudicial killings targeting officials and former military personnel of the previous government. The report reflects instances of human rights violations by the Taliban from August 15, 2021, to June 30 of this year. The organization emphasizes that substantiated reports indicate the Taliban’s responsibility for massacres and self-initiated detentions of former military personnel. According to the report, former army members are most at risk of human rights violations. Following them, former national police, local police, and employees of the previous National Directorate of Security (NDS) have been purposefully attacked by the Taliban.
UNAMA’s report notes that cases of human rights violations against former government employees and previous security forces have been recorded in 34 provinces of the country. Based on the report, the highest number of human rights violations has occurred in Kabul, Kandahar, and Balkh provinces. According to UNAMA, 33 cases of human rights violations against former security forces have been documented in Kandahar province, indicating over a quarter of the total violations against former military personnel. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan states that at least 14 cases of forced disappearances of former government officials and military personnel, for which the Taliban are responsible, have been registered. The report mentions that on October 2, 2021, Aaliyah Azizi, the head of Herat’s women’s prison, did not return home from work, and since August 2022, there has been no information about her whereabouts. UNAMA states that despite initiating investigations into Azizi’s disappearance, the Taliban have not officially disclosed any information regarding her whereabouts.
UNAMA has reported that in January 2023, the Taliban handed over the body of a former army member to his family. The individual had been detained by the group. According to the report, the family of the former military personnel had no contact or information about his whereabouts after his arrest. Furthermore, it has been stated that the body of a former security force member, bearing signs of torture, was delivered to his family by the Taliban. The report indicates that UNAMA has documented over 424 cases of self-initiated detentions of officials and former security forces by the Taliban militants during the two years of their rule of Afghanistan. The report explains that the charges, duration of detention, and trial process for these individuals remain unclear, and the detainees have been deprived of access to legal representation and other lawful procedures. The report emphasizes that some instances of self-initiated detentions have resulted in extrajudicial killings, for which the Taliban are responsible.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has expressed deep concern over the torture and mistreatment of detainees and suspects. The report states that more than 144 cases of torture and mistreatment against former security personnel and officials of the previous government have been documented. According to the organization, the Taliban have subjected former employees and military personnel to beating, using cables, and pipe torture after their detention. Based on the report, the Taliban have utilized torture for coerced confessions and, in some cases, demanded weapons and information from former military personnel.
UNAMA added that it has recorded numerous messages indicating threats against former Afghan security personnel, carried out by the Taliban and, in some instances, by unknown individuals. The report indicates that individuals have reported receiving threatening phone calls from Taliban members to UNAMA. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan strongly emphasizes the evident exemption of the Taliban militants from torture, detention, killing, and disappearance of former military personnel. The report highlights that the Taliban regime has not issued any written text regarding the establishment of procedures to address violations of general amnesty.
UNAMA has added in its recent report that international humanitarian law encourages the Taliban regime to grant amnesty to those who have been involved in armed conflicts to end hostilities. The report states that while the Taliban initially announced a general amnesty, continuous human rights violations by this group have persisted, as documented in this report. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has stated that extrajudicial killings, torture, and mistreatment are considered “grave crimes” under international law. According to UNAMA, the Taliban are obligated to take necessary actions to prevent human rights violations and to effectively, promptly, thoroughly, and impartially investigate alleged violations.
UNAMA’s report states that the targeting of former government officials and former security forces has intensified an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. The report indicates that the majority of former security personnel live in fear of arrest or execution, leading them to either live covertly or flee the country.
Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, commented on this report, stating, “The UNAMA report paints a serious picture of behavior directed at individuals associated with the previous government and Afghan security forces since the Taliban’s takeover of the country.” The UN official has described the targeting of former military personnel and officials as a “betrayal of trust” towards the people.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, has dismissed the UN report as baseless. He claimed that the organization is engaged in “propaganda.”
UNAMA has reported 800 cases of human rights violations, while the latest report, “Afghan Witness,” documented 3,329 instances of human rights violations by the Taliban in the past two years. The organization declared that the Taliban have extensively engaged in significant human rights violations, including detaining and killing former military personnel, suppressing and detaining female protesters, censoring media, and imposing restrictions on religious freedoms. Furthermore, a report covering the initial six months of Taliban rule revealed that detainees are subjected to torture on a daily basis.
