After taking power, the Taliban primarily targeted soldiers and police officers from the previous government. Against all promises. A United Nations report paints a sobering picture.
According to a UN report, more than 200 former government supporters or soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the militant Taliban took power. The UN Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) has documented 218 extrajudicial killings since mid-August 2021, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Most of the victims had been arrested shortly beforehand by Taliban security forces, the report said. Soldiers and police officers from the previous Western-backed government were particularly severely persecuted. Some men were arrested, others abducted and killed in unknown locations.
In addition to extrajudicial killings, the UN also complained about disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention and threats against former employees of the republic. Human rights violations have taken place in all 34 provinces, the report said. At least 800 cases are known. Unama documented 424 cases of arbitrary detention of former soldiers or government officials.
False promises
After taking power, the Taliban initially promised an amnesty for former government supporters and soldiers. Critics expressed doubts about this early on. The Islamist group rejected the allegations in Tuesday’s report. Unama had attached a statement to the report.
“The UNAMA report paints a sobering picture of the treatment of people associated with Afghanistan’s previous government and security forces since the Taliban took over the country,” said UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk, according to the statement. “Especially since they were assured that they would not be pursued, this is a breach of trust.”
On August 15, 2021, the militant Islamist Taliban took power in Afghanistan before the US troops had completely withdrawn. They initially promised to govern more moderately, but their rule has recently become increasingly authoritarian and dogmatic. The humanitarian situation in the country is considered precarious.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
