Taliban Members 'Detain' Three Ex-Servicemen in Laghman

The EU called on the Taliban to allow the UN special rapporteur on human rights unrestricted access to Afghanistan.

The EU representative said at the meeting of the committee that civil society, human rights defenders and journalists are working in very difficult conditions in Afghanistan.

He also said that the Taliban's actions contradict international human rights law and undermine any prospects for a peaceful and sustainable future in Afghanistan.

The statement of the EU representative mentioned gender repression and discrimination against minorities, severe restrictions on civil society and the media in Afghanistan.

The European Representative said that the repression of women in Afghanistan increases the risks of trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation, domestic violence, forced marriage and early marriage in Afghanistan.

The meeting emphasised on the joint cooperation between Uzbekistan and EU and the prevention of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan wrote in a statement on Friday, November 1, that they discussed the prospects for future cooperation between Uzbekistan and EU on Afghan issues.

The details of the conversation have not been announced, but the statement said that special attention was paid to the possibility of using the International Transport and Logistics Centre in the city of Termez to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

According to the statement, Hakala also appreciated Uzbekistan's actions aimed at establishing a unified position on Afghanistan.
Although Uzbekistan does not recognise the Taliban like other countries, it has extensive economic and diplomatic relations with the Taliban.

Ismatullah Irgashev has repeatedly discussed Afghanistan in meetings with various European officials in recent months.

Darwish further disclosed that approximately 30 additional death sentences are awaiting final approval from the Taliban leader.

Speaking at an event titled “Coordination Among Government Institutions to Prevent Criminal Offences” in Panjshir, Darwish stated that “these sentences have been executed in accordance with Sharia law, with the aim of establishing justice and deterring crime.” He highlighted that around 30 additional retributive justice (Qisas) sentences have been issued by various courts and will be enacted upon approval from the Taliban’s Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The judicial system under the Taliban predominantly operates based on a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia and customary laws, diverging significantly from international human rights standards and civil laws. Numerous human rights organisations have expressed concerns over a lack of transparency in Taliban trials, the denial of legal representation for defendants, and the expedited and often compulsory nature of these judicial proceedings.

Reports indicate that defendants in Taliban courts are occasionally convicted without access to defence counsel and, at times, without adequate evidence. Severe penalties, including flogging, amputation, and execution, have also been administered by these courts.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported on Thursday that at least 111 individuals, including 16 women, were subjected to corporal punishment in Afghanistan over the past three months. UNAMA stated that the Taliban had carried out floggings of these individuals, sometimes individually and occasionally in groups, in response to various charges.

According to the committee's information, the drug shipment was transported to Kyrgyzstan via Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

Kyrgyzstan's National Security Committee stated in a video released that it had arrested a foreign smuggler on charges of transporting the drugs. No details have been released about the identity of the foreigner.

The drugs were reportedly methamphetamine, and the smugglers were planning to transport them to Hong Kong, China, after Kyrgyzstan. China and Kyrgyzstan share a border.

Kyrgyzstan's National Security Committee said that the foreigner was in custody and that security forces were interrogating him to identify his accomplices.

The media outlet reported that 58 families from Pakistan and 146 families from Iran have returned to Afghanistan.

The Taliban-controlled state media outlet Bakhtar News Agency reported on Friday, November 1, that the Afghan refugees were deported to Afghanistan from the Torkham, Spin Boldak, Islam Qala and Pul-e-Abrisham crossings.

On Tuesday, October 29, the media outlet also reported the deportation of 268 Afghan refugee families from Iran and Pakistan.