Taliban Officials Sexually Abused Boys In Detention, Says UN Rapporteur

Norway’s diplomatic mission for Afghanistan, echoing United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan concerns over the Taliban’s child marriage decree, stressed the need to protect children’s rights.

In a statement posted on X on Friday, Norway’s diplomatic mission for Afghanistan emphasised the protection of children’s rights and the importance of ensuring justice and equal rights for all Afghans.

Earlier, UNAMA expressed concern over the Taliban’s newly approved regulations on marital separation, saying Article 18 of the decree forms part of a broader and deeply worrying trend that is gradually eroding the rights of Afghan women and girls.

Norway was among the first Western countries to maintain channels of communication with the Taliban after the group returned to power in August 2021.

During the years when the Taliban were fighting Western forces and Afghanistan’s former government, Norway hosted several rounds of direct talks in Oslo between the Taliban and their political opponents.

Norway has also accepted Taliban diplomats on its soil, although it has not formally recognised the group as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

This policy reflects the broader approach adopted by many Western countries, which seek conditional and practical engagement with the Taliban to pursue humanitarian goals and manage Afghan migration, without granting the group full political legitimacy.

According to Amnesty International’s annual report on death sentences and executions published on Monday, at least 2,707 people were executed in 17 countries in 2025, the highest figure recorded since the organisation began tracking executions in 1981.

Amnesty International said the Taliban carried out six executions during the year.

The organisation stated that all executions were conducted publicly, with at least one death sentence issued on charges of “blasphemy”.

Amnesty International also reported that authorities in Iran executed at least 2,159 people in 2025; more than double the figure recorded in 2024 and the largest contributor to the global rise in executions.

The report said Saudi Arabia increased executions to at least 356 cases and made extensive use of the death penalty for drug-related offences.

Last year, executions rose in Kuwait from six to 17, in Egypt from 13 to 23, in Singapore from nine to 17 and in the United States from 25 to 47.

Overall, the number of recorded executions worldwide increased by 78 per cent compared with the previous year.

In 2024, at least 1,518 executions had been documented.

The figures do not include thousands of executions Amnesty believes continue to take place in China.

Drug-Related Executions

Amnesty said hardline anti-drug policies were among the main drivers behind the rise in executions.

According to the report, nearly half of all recorded executions in 2025, 1,257 cases, were linked to drug-related offences, including in Iran, China, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Iran accounted for the highest number, with 998 drug-related executions.

The Taliban does not carry out executions for drug trafficking offences.

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said: “A shameless minority are weaponizing the death penalty to instill fear, crush dissent and punish marginalized communities.”

She added: “From China, Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia to Yemen, Kuwait, Singapore and the USA, this shameless minority are weaponizing the death penalty to instil fear, crush dissent and show the strength state institutions have over disadvantaged people and marginalized communities.”

Countries Carrying Out Executions Remain a Minority

Amnesty International stressed that despite the increase in executions, countries that continue to use the death penalty remain in the minority.

The United States, Iran, China, Somalia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Egypt, Vietnam and Yemen have remained among the countries carrying out executions for five consecutive years.

At the same time, Amnesty International said the global movement towards abolishing the death penalty continues. When the organisation launched its campaign against capital punishment in 1977, only 16 countries had abolished the death penalty, compared with 113 today.

According to the report, Vietnam abolished the death penalty for eight crimes, including drug transportation, bribery and embezzlement, while Gambia removed capital punishment for murder, treason and certain crimes against the state.

Amnesty International also highlighted efforts in Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and Nigeria to prevent the return or expansion of the death penalty.

Executions Under Taliban Rule

According to Taliban statements, the group has executed at least 12 people in the provinces of Farah, Laghman, Ghazni, Jowzjan, Badghis, Nimruz and Khost during nearly five years of renewed rule, often in front of hundreds of spectators.

During the Taliban’s previous rule in the late 1990s, public executions and stonings were among the defining features of its government.

Taliban officials refer to executions as “qisas” [retributive justice] and say such punishments are carried out under Islamic law and are necessary to prevent “serious crimes and murder” in Afghanistan.

In a statement on Thursday, May 14, UNAMA also said it was concerned about attacks on Afghan journalists and the confiscation of their property during inspections by Taliban authorities.

The United Nations called for clarity regarding the legal process and the charges against the detained journalists.

The UN mission in Kabul stressed the importance of due process and protecting the rights of detainees at all stages.

UNAMA said “a free, independent, and safe press is essential for transparency, accountability, and the well-being of Afghan society”, urging the Taliban to uphold their obligations under international human rights law.

The statement added that Taliban authorities must ensure journalists can continue their professional work without fear of intimidation, harassment or retaliation.

Taliban intelligence agents have detained Mansoor Niazi, Imran Danish and Javid Niazi.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture confirmed on Tuesday the detention of Mansoor Niazi and Imran Danish, saying their cases were under review and that no court decision had yet been made. The ministry did not specify the reasons for the arrests.

According to reports, Mansoor Niazi, a news presenter and political programme host at TOLOnews, was detained by Taliban intelligence officers on Thursday, May 7, in Kabul’s Karte Char area.

Imran Danish, another presenter and head of the outlet’s political section, was arrested on Saturday evening near the TOLOnews office in Wazir Akbar Khan.

Informed sources told Afghanistan International on Sunday that after news of the journalists’ detention was shared on the broadcaster’s social media accounts, Taliban intelligence forces surrounded the Moby Group office for more than six hours.

According to the sources, around 50 armed Taliban intelligence personnel were deployed around the media company’s headquarters.

The arrests have triggered reactions from international organisations. Amnesty International described the detentions as part of a broader and continuing pattern of intimidation and retaliation against journalists and media workers in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

According to sources, the doctors were arrested over the past four days in clinics located in the Hazrat Ji Baba area of Kandahar after continuing to treat women despite repeated warnings from Taliban morality officers.

Local sources said Taliban officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice regularly visit medical centers and clinics across Kandahar city and instruct doctors not to examine or treat women unless accompanied by a male guardian.

According to the sources, the Taliban authorities warned doctors that if a woman arrives at a clinic without a mahram, she must either be turned away or wait until her guardian arrives.

One doctor, speaking anonymously due to security concerns, said: “The morality officers come almost every day asking about women’s examinations, male doctors’ work, and even our beards and clothing. We are under immense pressure and do not know what to do.”

Healthcare workers said the inspections extend beyond female patients and also focus on staff appearance, including beard length and clothing.

Ahmad, a pseudonym used by one healthcare worker, said: “The morality officers tell doctors they must grow beards. If someone’s beard is trimmed or shaved, they are treated harshly, insulted and threatened.”

Some sources also said doctors in several clinics had been verbally warned against wearing what the Taliban describe as Western-style clothing, certain hairstyles and other forms of appearance.

Managers of private clinics and health centers in Kandahar said Taliban morality officers patrol different parts of the city daily and inspect clinics, hospitals and pharmacies.

Several healthcare workers warned that these restrictions could have serious consequences for women’s health because there are very few female specialist doctors in Kandahar.

One doctor in the Hazrat Ji Baba area said: “Many women do not have a male guardian, so where should they go? There are very few female doctors in Kandahar, and most women rely on male doctors. If this is stopped, health problems will increase seriously.”

In recent months, there have been multiple reports of increased Taliban restrictions in Kandahar, including inspections of men’s beards in markets, forcing shopkeepers to close during prayer times, warnings over music, deletion of images and videos from mobile phones and media outlets, and tighter controls in recreational areas.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also confirmed the restrictions. In its latest quarterly report released on Tuesday, May 12, UNAMA said Taliban morality officers in Uruzgan, Paktia and Kandahar had instructed health centers not to treat women without a male guardian.

The report also said Taliban morality officers had detained and mistreated people over clothing, Western-style beard trimming, and listening to or playing music.

UNAMA added that Taliban morality officials had also ordered female healthcare workers to be accompanied by a male guardian while travelling.

In a joint report with Mixed Migration Centre titled “Life in the shadows”, published on Monday, May 5, the agencies examined the protection needs of Afghan children and adolescents in Pakistan.

The report states that Afghan refugees, particularly children and young people, face serious protection risks and are deprived of basic services.

It highlights that the lack of legal documentation and constant fear of arrest and deportation have forced this vulnerable group to live in hiding.

According to the findings, lack of access to education is one of the most significant challenges. Around 77 percent of children surveyed have no access to schooling or vocational training.

The main reasons cited include financial hardship, lack of identity documents and the need to work. Nearly half of the children are also deprived of healthcare services, increasing their vulnerability.

The situation is reported to be far worse for unaccompanied children. Data show that 73% of them are forced to work to cover living costs, compared with 33% among children with guardians.

Unaccompanied girls are particularly affected, with 82% engaged in work. In addition, a significant number of these children live in inadequate housing conditions.

Migration pressures, poverty and fear of deportation have had severe impacts on the mental health of Afghan children. According to the survey, 70% reported feeling depressed and 44% suffer from anxiety.

Risks of detention, physical violence, abuse and forced marriage are among the other serious threats these young refugees face in their daily lives.

The report stresses that Pakistan’s current policies of detention and deportation should be revised, calling on authorities to allow Afghans to register legally and obtain documentation.

The findings are based on a survey of 1,109 respondents, including children, young people, guardians and other adults.