Taliban executing scores of former officials in public hangings, says UN
The Taliban has executed scores of officials linked to the fallen government and displayed their bodies to spread fear, the UN says.
The Taliban has executed scores of officials linked to the fallen government and displayed their bodies to spread fear, despite declaring an amnesty after taking over the country in August, the UN says.
Its Human Rights Council said it had heard of the killings of more than 100 former government officials, most attributed to the Taliban, along with the summary execution of suspected Islamic State members, including hangings and beheadings.
“In several cases, the bodies were publicly displayed,” Nada al-Nashif, UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, told the council in Geneva. “This has exacerbated fear among this category of the population.”
Ms Nashif said she was deeply alarmed by continuing reports of such killings, which contradict the Taliban’s promised amnesty for all those linked to the former US-backed government.
The Taliban has not extended any such promise to members of Islamic State Khorasan, the jihadist network’s branch in Afghanistan and a sworn enemy of its new rulers.
The council was given a grim account of the situation by the former government’s ambassador to the UN, who said many other allegations of targeted killings and enforced disappearances were going undocumented.
“With the takeover of Kabul, not only do we see a total reversal of two decades of advances … but the (Taliban is) also committing a litany of abuses with full impunity, which in many cases is going unreported and undocumented,” Nasir Ahmad Andisha, ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said.
He retained his credentials at the world body after the Taliban was denied UN recognition.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Taliban’s foreign ministry spokesman, said all allegations would be thoroughly investigated but unsubstantiated rumours should not be taken at face value.
He insisted the Taliban remained fully committed to the amnesty and anyone found breaching the decree would be prosecuted and penalised.
The Times
Simon’s ‘dream’ world and the stalking sound of silence
In an epic new documentary by Alex Gibney, the musician reveals the roots of the pop duo’s bitter rivalry and opens up about his deafness.
The Queen, Philip and me
Samantha Cohen, who was first entranced by the royals when they visited Brisbane in 1977, became one of the most trusted royal aides.