Taliban in Afghanistan: UN criticizes human rights violations

Outwardly, the Taliban are moderate – but now the UN is reporting serious human rights violations. There are credible statements about mass executions of civilians. These are not the first reports of this kind.

After the militant Islamist Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, serious violations of human rights were reported from the crisis state. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, reported on this at a special session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

According to these reports, there were mass executions of civilians and former members of the Afghan security forces. Bachelet also said that women’s freedom of movement had been restricted in some regions, and that some girls were no longer allowed to go to school. Peaceful protests are suppressed and minors are brought to armed forces.

“Credible Reports”

The reports are credible, she stressed. “There are grave risks for women, journalists and the new generation of leading figures in civil society who have emerged in recent years,” said Bachelet. “Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic and religious minorities are also at risk of violence and repression, given the serious human rights violations under the Taliban in the past and reports of killings and targeted attacks in recent months.”

The UN Human Rights Council regularly deals with the human rights situation around the world and convenes special meetings if necessary. It can pass a resolution or set up investigative commissions. It consists of 47 countries, each of which is appointed by the UN General Assembly for a three-year term. Germany is currently among them.

Human Rights Watch: Provincial Executions

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) also claims to have received reports of “civil executions” by the Taliban. The alleged victims are former Afghan government officials and security forces, said Vice Director for HRW in Asia, Patricia Gossman. Many of these incidents were found to take place outside the capital, Kabul, in the Afghan provinces. After taking power, the Taliban had actually promised a general amnesty.