Human Rights Watch: Over 100 Afghan Security Forces ‘Killed or Disappeared’
According to a report by the Human Rights Watch organization, since the Taliban’s return to power, a number of security forces from Afghanistan’s previous government have been “killed or disappeared.” However, the Taliban has denied that former government military personnel were killed by members of this group.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, a number of security forces from the previous Afghan government have been killed or disappeared. In a report released on December 30, it stated that Taliban forces in four out of 34 Afghan provinces have executed or disappeared over 100 former soldiers, police officers, or former national security forces personnel.
According to Deutsche Welle’s Dari section, the 25-page report documents executions or disappearances of former members of security forces, police, and pro-government militias who surrendered to Taliban forces or were detained between August 15 and late October.
The Human Rights Watch report indicates that likely only in the provinces of Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, and Kunduz, over 100 former security force members have been killed or gone missing.
Taliban leadership has ordered members of the group to register the names of units that have surrendered. Additionally, they have been able to access remaining documents and personnel records from the previous government. According to this report, they have used this information to arrest or kill former security personnel.
After regaining power in Afghanistan, Taliban leadership issued a general amnesty order for all security forces, and this matter has been repeatedly emphasized after the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. Many provinces and Kabul fell largely into Taliban hands without conflict. In many provinces, security forces surrendered to the Taliban en masse.
Patricia Gossman, Deputy Director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, stated: “The promised amnesty by Taliban leaders has not prevented hasty executions or disappearances of former members of Afghan security forces by Taliban local commanders.”
Human Rights Watch stated on its website that it conducted in-person interviews with 40 people in four provinces and telephone interviews with 27 others. According to this organization, these individuals include witnesses, relatives and friends of victims, former government officials, journalists, health sector employees, and Taliban members.
Taliban’s Response
In response to the Human Rights Watch report, the Taliban said they have dismissed 755 perpetrators of abuses and established a military court to investigate killings, torture, and illegal arrests. However, this group did not provide information to confirm its claims.
The Taliban rejected this report on Tuesday, December 9, and called it an accusation. Sayed Khosti, spokesman for the Taliban’s Interior Ministry, said in response to the publication of this report to Deutsche Welle: “The Mujahideen are not allowed to kill, threaten, or persecute former government employees.”
However, he did not deny the occurrence of events such as killings of former soldiers, but said that they were killed not by Taliban members, but by “personal enemies.” He added: “They committed oppression during the previous government’s rule and harassed people, and now people are targeting them.”
Source: DW
