Amnesty International Accuses Taliban of Gross Human Rights Abuses amid Aggressive Crackdown on Muharram Observances

Amnesty International issued a strong condemnation of the Taliban’s human rights record in Afghanistan, calling for an end to widespread abuses. Protests against the regime’s crackdown on Muharram observances continue.

In a recent statement, the organization documented numerous violations, including corporal punishment, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, and the systematic suppression of women’s rights.

Amnesty International specifically highlighted the denial of education for girls as a critical issue. They pointed out that since the Taliban’s takeover, Afghan women and girls have been increasingly deprived of their fundamental rights. This echoes concerns raised by UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan Human Rights Richard Bennett.

The report also criticized the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV). A recent UN report detailed the MPVPV’s role in violating various human rights. The arbitrary enforcement of morality codes by the MPVPV disproportionately impacts women, creating a climate of fear and intimidation.

Zaman Sultani, regional researcher for South Asia at Amnesty International, emphasized the report’s findings. “The MPVPV’s actions have had a decaying effect on human rights in Afghanistan,” Sultani stated. He called for an end to the impunity enjoyed by the Taliban for these violations and urged the establishment of an independent international mechanism to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable.

Amnesty International further condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment, highlighting a recent flogging in Kandahar. They also expressed concern about the lack of accountability for serious human rights violations, including potential crimes against humanity.

The organization called on the UN to take stronger action, including extending the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur and establishing a dedicated mechanism for accountability. They emphasized the importance of prioritizing gender justice and involving women human rights defenders in future engagements with the Taliban.

The Taliban has also launched a severe crackdown on Muharram rituals and Ashura observances this year consistent with its aggressive policies against the Shia community that has rooted in the establishment. In the latest development as reported by Afghanistan International, Taliban members killed a young Shiite man identified as “Habib” in the Jebrael township of Herat on Thursday.

According to local sources, Habib had clashed with Taliban members the day before his death to protest against the restrictions imposed on Shia mourners in Herat.

The High Council of Resistance, a political movement, has accused the Taliban of using security as a pretext to “humiliate and insult” Ashura mourners in Afghanistan.

In a statement, the council described the Taliban’s actions towards mourners as “terror and violence,” calling it a “crime against humanity” that strips people of their legitimate freedoms and destroys their psychological security.

“We strongly condemn the humiliation, insults, arrests, and detention of Ashura mourners by the oppressive Taliban,” the council’s statement read.

Citing directives from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the statement noted that the freedom to conduct Ashura ceremonies has been severely restricted, limiting observances to three days and banning Sunni participation.

The council also mentioned that several Shia scholars have signed a commitment imposed by the Taliban, which the council claims lacks any “human or Islamic basis.”

The High Council of Resistance has called on the international community to reject engagement with the “anti-human Taliban” and instead listen to and support the people of Afghanistan.