Taliban Reject US, Allied Report On Executions Of Former Afghan Security Forces

The Taliban on Sunday rejected reports of “summary executions” of former members of the Afghan security forces, which “deeply concern” the United States and its Western allies.

“We are deeply concerned by reports of summary executions and enforced disappearances of former members of the Afghan security forces, documented by Human Rights Watch and others,” says a statement from the United States, the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan, among others, published by the US State Department.

“We underline that the alleged actions constitute grave human rights abuses and contradict the Taliban’s announcement of amnesty,” declared the group of nations, calling on the new rulers of Afghanistan to ensure that the amnesty is enforced and “ratified by throughout the country and in all its ranks ”.

Earlier this week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report documenting the summary execution or forced disappearance of 47 former members of the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF), as well as military personnel, police and intelligence agents “who they had surrendered or had been apprehended by the Taliban forces ”from mid-August to October.

The Taliban flatly rejected these accusations.

“This information is not supported by any evidence. Therefore, we reject it, “said Qari Sayed Khosti, a spokesman for the Taliban government’s Interior Ministry, in a video sent to the press.

“There were cases of assassinations of former members of the security forces” of the government overthrown last summer, “but because of rivalries or personal enmities,” he added.

“If they have documents and evidence, they should show us,” he added, addressing Westerners, considering it “unfair” to accuse the Taliban of these murders.

Khosti stressed that after his return to power the Taliban decreed a general amnesty for all the security forces of the previous regime.

Many of them “live peacefully” in the country thanks to this amnesty, despite the fact that “they killed hundreds of combatants [talibanes] and civilians ”during two decades of war, he asserted.

Countries that signed the declaration include Canada, New Zealand, Romania, Ukraine and several European nations. “We will continue to measure the Taliban for their actions,” they noted.

– Looking for respectability –

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August when the government, which had the backing of the United States, collapsed.

Their return came about 20 years after they were expelled by US forces, which had ended a fundamentalist mandate known for its brutal treatment of women, its inability to defend human rights and its harsh interpretation of Islam.

Today’s Taliban leaders, eager to gain international respectability, have vowed that their regime will be different.

But the new government continues to carry out violent punishments, and the United Nations has expressed concern over “credible allegations” that the Taliban have carried out retaliatory killings since their victory, despite promises of amnesty for fallen government troops.

In its report, HRW indicated that the Taliban leaders had ordered the surrendered security forces to register with the authorities, in order to verify their links with certain military units or special forces and thus receive a letter guaranteeing their safety.

“However, the Taliban have used these verifications to arrest and, in short, execute or forcibly disappear individuals within days of their search, leaving their bodies for families or communities to find,” the organization explained.

Washington held talks with Taliban officials this week, urging the Islamist group to give women and girls access to education across the country.

It was the second round of discussions, which took place in Doha, since the US forces left Afghanistan.

It also “expressed deep concern regarding allegations of human rights abuses,” a US spokesman said.