In a statement released on Saturday, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), in exile, has called for greater international pressure to be placed on the Taliban to ensure human rights in Afghanistan.
AIHRC referred to Amnesty International annual report which highlights the widespread human rights violation under the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
The recent arrests of cultural and civil activists have caused particular concern, with individuals including Zakaria Osuli, Rasul Parsi, Narges Sadat, Musa Shahin, Morteza Behboudi, Sayed Mohammad Hosseini and Matiullah Wesa who remain in the Taliban prison without any charge.
“Despite Numerous institution with national and international credibility taking a clear stand against these detentions and demanding the release of these individuals, the Taliban have unfortunately continued to ignore these demands,” AIHRC stated in statement.
“The AIHRC calls on the Taliban to release the detained individuals as soon as possible and without any delay,” the organization added.
Moreover, the human rights commission has urged both national and international organizations to take the recommendations of the Amnesty International seriously and called on governments and international human rights mechanism to put tangible pressure on the Taliban to prevent human rights violations and to ensure the safeguarding of human rights in Afghanistan.
The recent detentions have elicited broad global responses. The UN Human Rights Office has issued a statement on Wednesday expressing concern over the arbitrary detentions of civil society activists, particularly those who are subjected to the Taliban’s discriminatory practices against women and girls.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has similarly indicated that the Taliban has extended its suppression of civil society and has heightened its focus on those who oppose its policies.
