Acting Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Markus Potzel speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. The UN said in a report Wednesday that hundreds of people have been killed in Afghanistan since the Taliban overran the country nearly a year ago. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
OAN NEWSROOM
UPDATED 7:53 AM PT – Friday, July 22, 2022
The United Nations recently slammed the Taliban’s human rights record in Afghanistan with more than 700 people being killed since the radical group’s takeover last year. In a press conference Wednesday, officials highlighted 160 instances of extra judicial killings, 56 incidents of torture or ill treatment and more than 170 subjective or arbitrary arrests.
While the de facto authorities have taken some steps aimed at improving the human rights situation, the report documents a range of human rights violations — arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture, excessive use of force & extrajudicial killings.
Report: https://t.co/o4rcmtIbpW pic.twitter.com/Gjqa10Efi7— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) July 20, 2022
Officials from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also criticized the treatment of women under Taliban rule, asserting many of their rights had been stripped or deferred.
“UNAMA’s report highlights concerns, concerns with regard to ongoing extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment, denial of women and girls’ rights to participate in many aspects of daily and public life,” stated Markus Potzel, acting head of UNAMA. “Restrictions on the media and civic space and the situation in place of detention.”
“Relegating women and girls to the home denies #Afghanistan the benefit of the significant contributions they have to offer. Education for all is not only a basic human right, but also the key to progress & development of a nation.” @PotzelMarkus UN envoy. https://t.co/o4rcmtIbpW pic.twitter.com/SvZxBMeofN
— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) July 20, 2022
Civilians are often caught up in Taliban conflicts. Between January 1 and April 14 2021, more than 2,000 civilians were killed and 5,600 injured.