Based on revelations from human rights organizations, the United States and its Western allies are concerned about the treatment of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan for former members of the Afghan security forces.
“We are deeply concerned at reports of summary executions and enforced disappearances of former members of the Afghan security forces, as documented by Human Rights Watch and others.”, provide some twenty countries, including Great Britain and Japan, as well as the European Union (EU) in a press release issued by the US State Department.
“We stress that the alleged actions constitute serious human rights violations and contravene the amnesty announced by the Taliban”, said the group of allies, calling on the new Afghan leadership to ensure that the amnesty is applied and “Maintained throughout the country and in all their ranks”.
This week, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report it said documents “The killings or disappearances of 47 former members of the Afghan National Security Forces who surrendered or were detained by the Taliban forces between August 15 and October 31”.
“Among the victims are military personnel, police, intelligence agents and militiamen”, clarified HRW.
“Quick and transparent investigations”
For Washington and its allies, “Reported cases must be promptly and transparently investigated, those responsible must be held to account and these steps must be clearly announced to act as an immediate deterrent to further killings and disappearances”.
In addition to the United States and the EU, the signatories of the communiqué are France, Germany, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Japan, North Macedonia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.
“We will continue to judge the Taliban by their actions”, they recalled.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August, as the US-backed government in Kabul and the country’s military collapsed. Their return to the helm of the country came twenty years after they were driven out by American forces putting an end to their fundamentalist regime, earning them international opprobrium mainly because of the brutal treatment of women and the disrespect of rights. human beings and the rigorous interpretation of Islam.
“Credible allegations”
Today’s Taliban leaders, eager to gain international respectability, have promised their regime will be different. But the new government continued to apply violent punishments, and the United Nations (UN) has expressed concern over the “Credible allegations” that the Taliban have committed retaliatory killings since their victory, despite promises of amnesty for the troops of the ousted government.
According to HRW, “Taliban leaders ordered members of the surrendered security force units to register for a letter guaranteeing their safety.” However, the Taliban forces used these lists of names to carry out the detention and summary execution or enforced disappearance of these people a few days after their registration ”.
U.S. officials spoke with Afghan authorities earlier this week and urged the Islamist movement to provide access to education for women and girls across the country. The United States also “Expressed their deep concern about the allegations of human rights violations”, said a US spokesperson.