Taliban Fighter Killed In Kabul, Claims NRF

The office has documented 38 cases of detention, 10 cases of torture and abuse, and at least four cases of extrajudicial killings of former government employees and military personnel by the Taliban over a three-month period from January 1 to March 31 of the current year.

UNAMA's report, which covers the human rights situation in Afghanistan during this period, was released on Thursday.

The United Nations stated that the Taliban persist in detaining, torturing, and killing former government employees and military personnel despite the group’s spokespersons' constant emphasis on the group's commitment to “general amnesty”.

Civilian Casualties

UNAMA's quarterly report also states that at least 79 civilians were killed and injured in explosions in Kabul over six days, between January 6 to 11.

According to the report, an explosion occurred in the predominantly Hazara neighbourhood of Dashte Barchi in Kabul on January 6, leaving five dead and 20 injured.

Another explosion occurred in the same area on January 11, killing three and injuring 35 others. While ISIS claimed responsibility for the first incident, no group claimed responsibility for the second explosion.

The report also mentions another explosion on January 9 that targeted a vehicle transporting Taliban prison staff, killing three and injuring 13. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it targeted Taliban personnel.

Additionally, a suicide attack took place on March 21 outside the Kabul Bank in Kandahar, leaving at least 25 dead and 50 injured. The attack targeted a group of Taliban police forces who went to the bank to collect their salaries. ISIS claimed responsibility of the attack.

UNAMA also reported that on March 18, Pakistani airstrikes in Khost and Paktika killed one person and injured two others. According to the report, on the same day, Taliban forces clashed with Pakistani border guards, resulting in the deaths of four civilians, including three children, and the injury of seven others.

Freedom of Expression

UNAMA stated in its report that in addition to the economic challenges, restriction on against media in Afghanistan, and arbitrary detentions of journalists persist.

It referred to four cases of detention of journalists and media staff in Kabul and Samangan, all of whom have since been released.

According to the report, the Taliban also continued physical punishment against suspects, with three executions recorded in February.

According to the NRF, the Taliban seeks to create the impression that the ISIS Khorasan is recruiting Tajik nationals, aiming to justify a greater crackdown on opposition forces.

In a statement released on Thursday (May 2), the NRF accused the Taliban of seeking to gain legitimacy and attract regional attention under the guise of combating ISIS.

The statement emphasises that the Taliban and ISIS share similar goals, ideologies, and strategies, and have cooperated in their destructive pursuits over the years, complementing each other's operational capabilities.

Over the past two and a half years, the NRF has organised attacks against Taliban forces, and it considers the Taliban a regional security threat, just like ISIS.

The NRF dismissed the narrative of ISIS Khorasan recruiting Tajik citizens as dubious and suggested that those who had previously used the Taliban for their strategic objectives are now using ISIS to legitimise the Taliban.

The statement also accused the Taliban of creating a "false link" between the NRF and ISIS Khorasan to suppress resistance fighters further.

Sources indicate that these inmates number in the hundreds, most of whom hail from Panjshir and the northern regions of Afghanistan.

Following the crackdown on the protest in Pul-e-Charkhi, the Taliban transferred 220 inmates to the intelligence agency's Department 40, where they were tortured for a week, according to sources.

Relatives of these prisoners, upon visiting them in Pul-e-Charkhi, found many inmates with broken hands, feet, and heads.

This incident occurred two weeks ago.

Prisoners have complained that no human rights bodies or the United Nations have reviewed their situation, leaving them in limbo.

Neither the Taliban nor the UN's office in Afghanistan has released details regarding the Taliban's torture of inmates.

The US State Department recently reported that 90 percent of Taliban prisoners are political detainees.

The US State Department also said that last year, the Taliban kept people in long-term detention without any legal proceedings and systematically violated their right to legal representation.

The Taliban's Defence Ministry stated that during this meeting, Yaqoob underscored the importance of economic cooperation with Azerbaijan to bolster relations.

According to a statement released by the Taliban on Wednesday, the reopening of Azerbaijan's embassy in Kabul was considered a "positive step”.

Azerbaijan, like other countries, does not officially recognise the Taliban.

However, the Taliban's Defence Ministry has stated that the Azerbaijani ambassador has assured them of Azerbaijan's readiness to cooperate with the Taliban and the people of Afghanistan.

Taliban officials had previously expressed support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The commission's report specifically mentions that Shias, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians are individuals whose religious freedom has been violated.

In its annual report, the USCIRF states that religious freedom in Afghanistan has deteriorated under the Taliban rule.

The commission has stated that the Taliban continues to enforce its strict interpretation of Sharia law.

Referring to the ban on girls' education in Afghanistan, the commission said that the Taliban has implemented dozens of edicts based on its religious interpretation, restricting the clothing, employment, and education of Afghans.

The report states that under the Taliban rule, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians face severe restrictions, including limitations on their attire and appearance, and are prohibited from publicly holding their religious ceremonies.

The commission reported a similar situation for Shias in Afghanistan, stating that they continue to face harassment, violence, and interference in their right to worship.

The USCIRF states that in February 2023, a Taliban governor in Badakhshan issued a letter prohibiting marriages between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

It has also been reported that the Taliban banned the teaching of Jafari jurisprudence books and forced private universities to remove all religious books that do not conform to Hanafi jurisprudence.

Restrictions on holding Shia mourning ceremonies during Muharram and Nowruz celebrations by the Taliban are among other topics addressed in the USCIRF report.

The commission has urged the US government to designate Afghanistan as a "country of particular concern" for systematic violations of religious freedom.

The USCIRF also called on the United States government to include religious freedom and belief in its discussions with the Taliban government and condemn the on going atrocities committed by the group and ISIS.

Furthermore, the USCIRF called for sanctions on Taliban officials involved in violating religious freedoms.