The Talibans killed hundreds of people extrajudicially after seizing power – UN says

The UN says that the Taliban fighters have killed many people without any legal trial since they took over Afghanistan in 2021. This is happening even though there was a promise to protect the previous government with a “general amnesty. ”

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report on Tuesday. The report said that there were at least 218 killings which were done outside the law. There were more than 800 other crimes mentioned in the report. These crimes include arresting people without a reason, keeping them in prison without any trial, inflicting severe pain on them, and making people disappear without any trace.

According to the UNAMA, many former members of the Afghan National Army, police, and National Directorate of Security officials were targeted. The violations mostly happened in the months right after the terror group took over on August 15, 2021.

“The report shows a concerning image of how people linked to the old government and security forces of Afghanistan have been treated since the Taliban took control of the country,” said Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This is even worse because they were guaranteed safety, so it’s a betrayal of the people’s trust.

The Taliban said they were going to be less extreme and forgive their enemies when they took over the country after the US and NATO troops left after a long war.

However, instead of focusing on solving the problem, they have been very strict with citizens, especially women. They have banned women from going to university and have also closed schools for girls. Afghan women can’t work at NGOs like the UN and cannot travel without a male companion. They cannot go to parks or gyms.

International organizations and the United Nations have accused the Taliban of reversing advancements in protecting human rights since taking control.

Afghan women who talked to CNN said that life under the Taliban was getting worse and more strict. They now have to cover themselves and can only go outside if a man accompanies them.

The UN report found more than 144 cases of torture and mistreatment of former government and security officials.

According to the UN, there have been over 424 arrests and detentions done without a reason, and at least 14 cases where people were forcibly made to disappear. One of these cases involves Alia Azizi, the leader of Herat Women’s Prison. Since October 2021, no one has seen her.

UN officials interviewed people who said that they were beaten with pipes and cables, verbally threatened, and abused by members of the Taliban security force.

According to the UNAMA, family members also said that their relatives had been arrested or went missing. Their bodies were found days or even months later.

The United Nations in Afghanistan said that Afghanistan has agreed to follow several international agreements that protect people’s rights, like not killing people without a trial, not arresting or holding people without a good reason, and not hurting or treating people badly. “Ex-government and security officials have the right to the same protection of their basic rights as all people in Afghanistan. ”

Turkey’s United Nations (UN) representative in charge of protecting people’s rights urged the Taliban to hold those who commit crimes accountable.

I want the authorities to think about the report’s findings and do what they need to do according to the law to stop more violations and punish those responsible.

In response to the UN report, the Taliban-led ministry of foreign affairs said they did not carry out authorized killings or target individuals who fought or worked for the previous government.

The group said that no military staff from the previous government has been arrested, held against their will, or harmed because of their work in the security organizations.

They said that there is a rule made by the Taliban’s leader to stop torture and protect the rights of people who are suspected or in prison. This rule is followed all over the country.

“If any government or military institution in the Islamic Emirate breaks the amnesty law, it will be looked into and the people responsible will be taken to court. ”

Taliban leaders claim they have made the country free from foreign forces that invaded it.

The Taliban deputy spokesperson Bilal Karimi said to CNN that the Afghan people got back their country, freedom, government, and their own control.

UNAMA Head Roza Otunbayeva asked the Taliban to show true dedication to the general forgiveness and make sure it is honored.

“This important step is necessary to bring about justice, reconciliation, and peace in the country,” stated Otunbayeva.