ISLAMABAD: An international human rights group on Monday called on the UN Human Rights Council to address the “continuing abuses” perpetrated by Afghanistan Taliban leadersincluding severe restrictions on women And freedom of expression.
Despite initial promises of a more moderate stance, the Taliban has imposed harsh measures since seizing power in August 2021, as US and NATO forces were in the final weeks of their 20-year withdrawal from Afghanistan. years of war.
The Taliban banned women from public life and the education of girls beyond sixth grade, carried out public executions after convictions in Taliban courts, and cracked down on minority communities.
Amnesty International said the Taliban have also targeted women’s rights defenders, academics and activists in recent months and illegally detained them. The arrests are arbitrary and those detained have no legal recourse or access to their families.
The London-based watchdog called on the UN Human Rights Council to set up an independent fact-finding mechanism in Afghanistan as soon as possible and on UN members to act to end the impunity and ensuring justice for the victims of Taliban abuses.
“The human rights situation in Afghanistan is rapidly deteriorating and the relentless abuses by the Taliban continue every day,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General.
“It is clear that the Taliban are unwilling and unable to investigate the actions of their operatives that seriously violate the human rights of the Afghan people,” she added.
The group also said people who publicly criticize the Taliban’s “abusive rules” have been arrested without any explanation while the crackdown on women’s rights and public killings of ethnic Hazara minorities continue unchecked.
Among those detained are Narges Sadat, a women’s rights defender; civil society activist Fardin Fedayee; author and activist Zekria Asoli and Franco-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi. Former Afghan lawmaker Qais Khan Wakili and journalist Muhammad Yar Majroh are also in custody, Amnesty said.
In many cases, no information was given about the arrest and whereabouts of those detained, amounting to enforced disappearance, the group said.
Taliban spokespersons were not immediately available to comment on Amnesty’s report.
Separately, Amnesty has reported Taliban abuses in the northern province of Panjshir, where their forces are fighting resistance operatives from the so-called National Resistance Front.
The rights group said it has authenticated photos and videos on social media posts of at least eight incidents between May and August 2022, showing arbitrary arrests and detentions of some 87 people in Panjshir.
Amnesty cited an unnamed witness who said that in one such incident, the Taliban called residents of the village of Dan-i-Rivat in Panjshir from a loudspeaker in the mosque for a meeting, then tied up about fifty men who showed up with their hands behind their backs. , and beat them with the butts of their guns before taking them away.
Despite initial promises of a more moderate stance, the Taliban has imposed harsh measures since seizing power in August 2021, as US and NATO forces were in the final weeks of their 20-year withdrawal from Afghanistan. years of war.
The Taliban banned women from public life and the education of girls beyond sixth grade, carried out public executions after convictions in Taliban courts, and cracked down on minority communities.
Amnesty International said the Taliban have also targeted women’s rights defenders, academics and activists in recent months and illegally detained them. The arrests are arbitrary and those detained have no legal recourse or access to their families.
The London-based watchdog called on the UN Human Rights Council to set up an independent fact-finding mechanism in Afghanistan as soon as possible and on UN members to act to end the impunity and ensuring justice for the victims of Taliban abuses.
“The human rights situation in Afghanistan is rapidly deteriorating and the relentless abuses by the Taliban continue every day,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General.
“It is clear that the Taliban are unwilling and unable to investigate the actions of their operatives that seriously violate the human rights of the Afghan people,” she added.
The group also said people who publicly criticize the Taliban’s “abusive rules” have been arrested without any explanation while the crackdown on women’s rights and public killings of ethnic Hazara minorities continue unchecked.
Among those detained are Narges Sadat, a women’s rights defender; civil society activist Fardin Fedayee; author and activist Zekria Asoli and Franco-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi. Former Afghan lawmaker Qais Khan Wakili and journalist Muhammad Yar Majroh are also in custody, Amnesty said.
In many cases, no information was given about the arrest and whereabouts of those detained, amounting to enforced disappearance, the group said.
Taliban spokespersons were not immediately available to comment on Amnesty’s report.
Separately, Amnesty has reported Taliban abuses in the northern province of Panjshir, where their forces are fighting resistance operatives from the so-called National Resistance Front.
The rights group said it has authenticated photos and videos on social media posts of at least eight incidents between May and August 2022, showing arbitrary arrests and detentions of some 87 people in Panjshir.
Amnesty cited an unnamed witness who said that in one such incident, the Taliban called residents of the village of Dan-i-Rivat in Panjshir from a loudspeaker in the mosque for a meeting, then tied up about fifty men who showed up with their hands behind their backs. , and beat them with the butts of their guns before taking them away.
