There have been increasing allegations of human rights violations by the de facto Taliban authorities against hundreds of former Afghan government officials and former armed forces members despite assurances of “peace”.
Between the Taliban takeover on August 15, 2021 and June 30, 2023, the Human Rights Service, a Norwegian foundation established in 2001, has obtained credible reports that members of the de facto Taliban authorities were responsible for 218 extrajudicial killings, 14 enforced disappearances, over 144 instances of torture and ill treatment, and 424 arbitrary arrests and detentions.
Most of these violations were committed against former Afghan National Army members, the police and National Directorate of Security officials.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the report presents a “sobering picture of the treatment of individuals affiliated with the former Afghan government and security forces since the Taliban takeover”.
The report details the violations that occurred across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, along with the testimonies of victims and their families.
The High Commissioner urges the de facto authorities to carefully consider the findings of the report and uphold their obligations under international human rights law by preventing further violations and holding perpetrators accountable.
The Amnesty International in its report in March had stressed that the Taliban have been targeting women’s rights defenders, academics, and activists for unlawful detention.
“The human rights situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating rapidly, and the Taliban’s relentless abuses continue every single day,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, as quoted by the Amnesty International website.
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