By Rukhshana Media
Since August 15, when the Taliban returned to power, the group has “summarily executed or forcibly disappeared more than 100 former police and intelligence officers” in Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, and Kunduz provinces, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.
In the 25-page report released today, the New York-based Human Rights Watch documented the execution and disappearance of 47 former Afghan security personnels who were either surrendered to or were arrested by the Taliban between August 15 to October 31.
By interviewing 67 people, including family and relatives of the victims, Human Rights Watch gathered credible information about the killing and disappearance of more than 100 former police, army soldiers and intelligence service members in Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, and Kunduz provinces.
“The Taliban leadership’s promised amnesty has not stopped local commanders from summarily executing or disappearing former Afghan security force members,” Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, is quoted as saying in the report. “The burden is on the Taliban to prevent further killings, hold those responsible to account, and compensate the victims’ families,” she added.
“The Taliban leadership has directed members of surrendering security force units to register to receive a letter guaranteeing their safety. However, Taliban forces have used these screenings to detain and summarily execute or forcibly disappear people within days after they register, leaving their bodies for their relatives or communities to find,” Human Rights Watch’s report reads.
The report comes as the international community faces increased pressure to stem Afghanistan’s looming humanitarian disaster. But releasing the estimated $7 billion of Afghan reserves held in the US would mean breaking its own ns rulessanctions, which the US administration has so far been unwilling to do. No country has recognised the Taliban regime as legitimate.
