Human Rights Watch has praised the extraordinary bravery of Afghan women who have spoken out about sexual violence and abuse in Taliban prisons, as revealed in a recent investigative report by Afghanistan International.
Heather Barr, Associate Director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch highlighted the courage of survivors who have come forward despite facing deep social stigma, stating "The fact that women are coming forward to talk about these violence anyway is an extraordinary testament to their courage."
She further stressed the urgent need for stronger mechanisms to document and preserve evidence of such crimes in Afghanistan to ensure accountability for survivors.
Afghanistan International recently published an investigative report exposing widespread sexual abuse and harassment of women detainees in Taliban prisons.
Reacting to the report, Barr noted that sexual violence remains underreported globally due to deep-rooted social stigma. However, in Afghanistan, she said, the issue is even more severe.
"In Afghanistan, that is particularly acute problem—not only do victims face enormous stigma, but the Taliban has also dismantled the services and parts of the justice system that might have provided assistance to these victims," she explained.
The abolition of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has left victims of sexual violence without any protective mechanisms or avenues for seeking justice.
Barr urged international and domestic institutions to take urgent action to support survivors, particularly in evidence collection and justice mechanisms.
At least ten women who were interviewed separately by Afghanistan International reported being subjected to sexual violence or harassment while in Taliban custody.
Among them eight women stated they were raped by Taliban officials, and two others reported that Taliban interrogators filmed and photographed their naked bodies during questioning.
Some victims revealed that their assaults were recorded on mobile phones by prison guards, while others reported that hidden surveillance cameras had been installed in their cells, monitored by the Taliban’s prison administration.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, confirmed that he is aware of the issue and is actively investigating it.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zia Saraj, former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), acknowledged that during his tenure, security cameras were installed in detention centres such as Directorate 40, Directorate 90, and Kabul’s intelligence facilities.
He clarified that these cameras were installed at the request of the international community, with oversight from UNAMA, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the U.S. Embassy, to ensure detainees were not subjected to torture by Afghan intelligence personnel.
However, Saraj stated that international access to these surveillance systems has now been cut off, and it remains unclear whether the cameras are still operational under Taliban control.
He warned that the Taliban is using these tactics to psychologically break female detainees and silence them through fear and intimidation.
The revelations in Afghanistan International's report have intensified calls for urgent international intervention, as concerns grow over the systematic use of sexual violence in Taliban detention centres.
