In the ten months since they took control, the ruling Taliban have been responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and cruel punishments, according to the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which is based in Kabul.
According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), certain groups were singled out for violations, including people with ties to the deposed administration, human rights campaigners, and journalists. It also stated that women’s rights had been systematically dismantled.
In a statement, UNAMA expressed concern over the apparent lack of repercussions for human rights abuses committed by members of the de facto authorities.
In reference to Afghanistan, “de facto authority” is the Taliban government that assumed power in August of last year after international forces departed and the elected government fell.
A representative for the Taliban government has dismissed the report’s conclusions as “unfounded.”
Extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrests are not tolerated, Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter. If someone is found guilty of such violations, he continued, they will be treated as criminals under Sharia law.
Officials inside the Taliban have previously stated that retaliation attacks were not approved by leadership and that they have forbidden fighters from engaging in such operations. They also claimed to have begun removing members who did not strictly adhere to orders.
While praising the Taliban for their efforts to preserve human rights and a “significant reduction in armed conflict,” the statement also held the Taliban accountable.
UNAMA pointed the finger at two government agencies for their involvement in the violations: the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and the General Directorate of Intelligence.
According to the research, the worst affected were members of the old government and its security forces.
It detailed 160 cases of murder without due process, 178 cases of arbitrary detention, and 56 cases of torture or other ill-treatment of ex-government personnel.
The Taliban were responsible for 163 cases of human rights violations involving 173 journalists and media workers, including 122 cases of arbitrary arrest and 33 cases of threats.
The deterioration of women’s rights was another issue highlighted by UNAMA.
All too often, “women’s and girls’ rights to full participation in education, the workplace, and other parts of public and daily life have been restricted and, in many cases, completely taken away.”
Since the Taliban took power, UNAMA has documented 2,106 civilian casualties, including 700 deaths and 1,406 injuries.
