Since coming to power a year ago, the Taliban have committed the most serious human rights violations in Afghanistan. This is apparent from a report by Amnesty International, which talks about crimes such as torture, revenge killings and the expulsion of minorities. There are also extrajudicial killings and the Taliban have made people disappear.
“A year ago, the Taliban made a public commitment to protect and promote human rights. A year later, however, the human rights situation is catastrophic,” said Theresa Bergmann, Asia expert at Amnesty International in Germany. Arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances or summary executions would be the order of the day.
According to the human rights group, there are numerous reports of Taliban soldiers beating and torturing Afghans for violating decrees. The same goes for people accused of collaborating with the previous government. Some of those who worked directly under the previous government or who are suspected of involvement in resistance against the Taliban are said to have disappeared.
Brutal action against resistance fighters
The report continues that there have also been cases of revenge killings and executions of suspected resistance fighters. Hundreds of bodies with gunshot wounds and signs of torture are said to point to extrajudicial killings. With the brutal approach, it doesn’t matter whether the protest was violent or peaceful. In the past year alone, more than 80 journalists were arrested and tortured for covering peaceful protests. Activists are harassed, threatened, imprisoned and eventually killed.
setbacks in women’s rights
Another point in the report is the rights of women and girls. The Taliban have destroyed important achievements of the past 20 years, Bergmann said. Girls and women are denied education and participation in public life. “They experience systematic discrimination in almost every area of life.”
Ex-President in Exile
Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani recently defended his flight from Afghanistan in an interview with US broadcaster CNN. “I left because I didn’t want to give the Taliban and their supporters the pleasure of humiliating an Afghan president again.” Ghani says many more people would follow his example and leave the country.
Amnesty International called on the Taliban to respect human rights and international law. In addition, the international community must hold Taliban representatives accountable for the crimes they have committed.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
