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Western countries condemn Taliban for alleged executions of ex-soldiers, police

December 5, 2021 at 12:56 pm

Taliban fighters atop Humvee vehicles parade along a road to celebrate after the US pulled all its troops out of Afghanistan, in Kandahar on September 1, 2021 following the Talibans military takeover of the country. [JAVED TANVEER/AFP via Getty Images]

Western countries have condemned the alleged killings of former Afghan soldiers and police, as rights groups demand a probe, the Guardian reported.

The US led the chorus of condemnation, in a statement released jointly between the US, EU, Australia, UK, Japan and others.

“We are deeply concerned by reports of summary killings and enforced disappearances of former members of the Afghan security forces as documented by Human Rights Watch and others,” the statement read.

It continued: “We underline that the alleged actions constitute serious human rights abuses and contradict the Taliban’s announced amnesty.”

“Reported cases must be investigated promptly and in a transparent manner, those responsible must be held accountable, and these steps must be clearly publicised as an immediate deterrent to further killings and disappearances.”

Denying UN seat to Afghans against principles, justice: Taliban leader

Earlier in the week, Human Rights Watch released a damning report, revealing that the summary execution and forced disappearances of former soldiers, intelligence agents, other military personnel, and police totalled at 47.

The victims had either been hunted down by the Taliban, or had voluntarily surrendered to the hardline group.

The Taliban swept to power in a matter of weeks after a 20-year hiatus, full of promises to respect the rights of women, and gave assurances to former members of the Afghan armed forces and those who worked with the NATO troops and Afghan government that they would not be apprehended.

“We assure you that nobody will go to their doors to ask why they helped,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in August.

This comes as the Taliban released a decree that would ban forced marriage of women, declaring that women should not be treated like property, but failed to mention the education of girls or the right for women to work outside the home.

This is amid a devastating economic crisis in Afghanistan, with rapidly rising poverty forcing families to promise their infant daughters for marriage in exchange for a dowry.

Afghans seek end to sanctions, unconditional unfreezing of reserves

The Taliban administration has pleaded with the US to unfreeze Afghan assets so it can function as a government and alleviate the economic hardship of Afghan citizens.

Taliban officials recently u-turned on a statement made by the deputy head of culture commission Ahmadullah Wasiq, which placed a ban on women participating in sport, claiming it was un-Islamic, and ‘not necessary’, claiming that the interview given to an Australian TV channel was inaccurately translated.

It says nothing in the Quran banning women from sports.

Primary school girls have been allowed back into education, however secondary level girls have not been allowed to return to school.

It also says nothing in the Quran about banning women from education.