Afghanistan: Taliban Reportedly Committing ‘Summary Executions’ On Civilians And Security Forces
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The UN has said it has received ‘credible’ reports of executions and other human rights abuses being carried out by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
In a stark message to the Human Rights Council, UN Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned that ‘summary executions’ of civilians and former security forces, recruitment of child soldiers and restrictions of women’s rights were already being reported around the country, and urged officials to do more to monitor and safeguard the rights of Afghans as the Taliban moves to cement power.
Bachelet said:
At this critical moment, the people of Afghanistan look to the Human Rights Council to defend and protect their rights.
I urge this council to take bold and vigorous action, commensurate with the gravity of this crisis, by establishing a dedicated mechanism to closely monitor the evolving human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Though Bachelet did not cite the source of the reports, her warning is backed up by several organisations who have said they have evidence of human rights atrocities taking place in the country.
According to AP, Amnesty International said it had spoken to eyewitnesses who recounted the torture and execution of a group of ethnic Hazara men by the Taliban last month, while Norwegian private intelligence firm RHIPTO Norwegian Center for Global Analyses said it had evidence of the Taliban ’rounding up’ people who were believed to have worked with international forces or the previous Afghan government.
There have also been reports of Taliban fighters conducting door-to-door searches for individuals, with one Deutsche Welle journalist saying that a member of his family was murdered as they looked for him. Several Afghans – especially women journalists and campaigners – have gone into hiding amid fears they will be sought out and punished by the Taliban.
The Taliban has told international media it would not seek revenge on Afghans who worked with the previous regime, and said it would preserve the rights of women and girls, however multiple reports over the past week have undermined this message.
‘The onus is now fully on the Taliban to translate these commitments into reality,’ Bachelet told the Human Rights Council.
The United States, UK and other international forces are racing to evacuate their citizens and Afghan asylum seekers ahead of an agreed August 31 deadline to leave the country.
If you’d like to help those who’ve been affected by the recent devastating events unfolding in Afghanistan, you can make a donation to the UN Refugee Agency United Kingdom here
Topics: News, Afghanistan, Taliban, UN
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