Aug. 22 (UPI) — The United Nations accused the Taliban in Afghanistan of being involved in at least 800 extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention of members of its former government that was supported by the United States, according to a report released Tuesday.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, said it recorded credible reports of serious human rights violations by Taliban authorities against hundreds of former government officials and former armed forces members.
The instances also include torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance carried out against individuals affiliated with the former government and its security forces. The actions are happening despite the Taliban’s promise to give “general amnesty” to former government officials and former members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
“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,” said Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a statement.
“Even more so, given they were assured that they would be not targeted, it is a betrayal of the people’s trust. I urge the de facto authorities to carefully consider the findings of this report and to uphold their obligations under international human rights law by preventing further violations and holding perpetrators to account.”
The report said former government officials and security members have suffered beatings with pipes, cables, verbal threats and abuse. It said their relatives have also been arrested or gone missing, with their bodies being found days and months later.
The report said that the former leader of the Herat Women’s Prison, Alia Azizi, has been missing since October 2021.
“To date, efforts by the de facto authorities to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable for the incidents described in the UNAMA report have been extremely limited,” the report said. “Even in the few, isolated cases where an investigation was announced by the de facto authorities, progress lacks transparency and accountability; impunity prevails.”
Roza Otunbayeva, the secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, said the initial Taliban announcement of a general amnesty in August 2021 was welcomed but has not materialized.
“The de facto authorities must demonstrate a genuine commitment to the general amnesty,” she said. “This is a crucial step in ensuring real prospects for justice, reconciliation and lasting peace in Afghanistan.”
