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Over 200 former Afghan military, officials killed since Taliban takeover: UN

Afghanistan: Senior Taliban leaders earlier said that there is an amnesty for former government officials and members of the military.

Published on: Aug 22, 2023 08:34 PM IST
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More than 200 members of Afghanistan's former military, law enforcement and government have been killed since the Taliban took over despite a "general amnesty" for old enemies, the UN mission in Afghanistan said. At least 218 extrajudicial killings with links to the Taliban were recorded, the mission said.

Afghanistan: Taliban fighters stand guard as they block a road near Kabul. (AFP)
Afghanistan: Taliban fighters stand guard as they block a road near Kabul. (AFP)

"In most instances, individuals were detained by de facto security forces, often briefly, before being killed," the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said.

Senior Taliban leaders earlier said that there is an amnesty for former government officials and members of the military. Responding to the mission's report, Taliban-led foreign affairs ministry said that it had not received reports of any cases of non-compliance with the order. Any cases that did occur would be investigated, it added.

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UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the killings were a "betrayal of the people's trust" since the victims had been assured they would not be targeted while UN rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said the scale of killings was "shocking" and expected the true count to be higher.

In total, UNAMA recorded 800 incidents of human rights violations connected with the Taliban against former government employees and military. These included arbitrary arrests, disappearance and torture.Re

 
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Mallika Soni

When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?"

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.
Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.
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