KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that the Taliban continue to engage in arbitrary arrests, torture, ill-treatment, and extrajudicial killings of former government officials and soldiers.
In its report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, released on Thursday, May 2, UNAMA stated that despite the general amnesty announced by the Taliban, it continues to receive reports of arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings of former government officials and members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANDSF).
“Between 1 January and 31 March, UNAMA Human Rights documented at least 38 instances of arbitrary arrest and detention, at least 10 instances of torture and ill-treatment, verbal threats and at least four extrajudicial killings of former government officials and former ANDSF members,” the report said.
Despite declaring a “General Amnesty” upon returning to power, the Taliban has repeatedly violated it by arresting, torturing, and killing employees of the previous government, particularly former soldiers, women, and rights activists.
Just 10 days ago, local sources in Kabul reported the arrest of a retired general of the ANDSF and his son without any given reason. According to the sources, the general, identified as Essa Khan, had retired before the collapse of the republic government and had been leading a civilian life in Kabul.
In late March, Taliban intelligence agents arrested a retired Colonel of the ANDSF, Mohammad Nasir Nawabi, in Kabul. Mr. Nawabi, originally from Panjshir province, was residing in the capital city of Kabul.
In a report last year, UNAMA documented at least 800 cases of human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and torture and ill-treatment against the former army, police, and intelligence forces between August 15, 2021, and June 2023.
“In most instances, individuals were detained by de facto security forces, often briefly, before being killed,” UNAMA said.
Human rights groups have repeatedly accused the Taliban of gross human rights violations, expressing concerns that revenge killings and enforced disappearances of former security forces have not stopped despite the regime’s “general amnesty.”
Regarding the rights of women and girls in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, UNAMA says that it continues to receive reports of the enforcement of hijab instructions, particularly by the regime’s Ministry of Virtue and Vice, although such incidents have decreased since January 2024.
The UNAMA report also highlights that journalists and media workers continue to operate in a challenging environment, facing significant financial challenges, restrictions, and the risk of arbitrary detention in the course of their work.
The Taliban have yet to respond to the new report from UNAMA, but the regime consistently dismiss reports of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings of former soldiers as “propaganda.”
