Human Rights Watch Reports Differences Among Taliban Officials in Enforcing Decrees

Human Rights Watch Reports Differences Among Taliban Officials in Enforcing Decrees
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Human Rights Watch says Taliban officials are not uniform in implementing the group’s decrees, despite the strict policies imposed by its top leadership, with disagreements reported among officials over some issues.

In a commentary published on October 1, Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, and Patricia Gossman, senior Asia associate at the organization, said differences exist among Taliban officials over policies including the ban on girls’ education. The extent to which restrictions are enforced also varies from one province to another.

Abbasi said some senior Taliban figures have publicly opposed the ban on girls’ education, while the leadership in Kandahar has maintained a stricter position. Humanitarian organizations have also been able, in some provinces, to negotiate with local officials over access and the employment of women.

According to Human Rights Watch, these differences do not indicate that the Taliban have become more moderate. Rather, they show that local officials have some discretion in interpreting and enforcing orders, resulting in different levels of implementation across the country.