UN accuses Taliban of revenge attacks, executions despite general amnesty

Kabul, Aug 22 (EFE).- The Taliban has carried out at least 218 extrajudicial executions since they came to power, according to a report published by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Tuesday.

UNAMA also documented hundreds of cases of torture or forced disappearances against workers and officials of the former government despite having promised a general amnesty on returning to power two years ago.

The report underlined multiple cases of grave human rights violations by the Taliban government security forces against former government officials and former members of the armed forces.

Since Aug. 15, 2021 – when the Taliban seized power – and June 30, 2023, “UNAMA has documented at least 218 extrajudicial killings of former government officials and NDSF members since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan,” the report said.

“In most instances, individuals were detained by de facto security forces, often briefly, before being killed. Some were taken to detention facilities and killed while in custody, others were taken to unknown locations and killed, their bodies either dumped or handed over to family members,” it added.

Moreover, the report also documents some 800 cases of arbitrary arrests, torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearances of officials from the previous government that was deposed by the Taliban.

UNAMA mentioned having interviewed people whose family members were arrested, or missing, or people whose bodies were found days or even months after being detained by the Taliban.

It also highlighted the case, among several others, of Alia Azizi, the former head of the Women’s Prison in Herat, who disappeared in October 2021 after Taliban authorities told her to return to her job, and remains missing.

UNAMA has called on the Taliban to clarify the terms of the general amnesty they have declared and to ensure it is complied with.

“UNAMA’s report presents a sobering picture of the treatment of individuals affiliated with the former government and security forces of Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of the country. Even more so, given they were assured that they would be not targeted, it is a betrayal of the people’s trust,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. EFE

lk-igr/sc