UN records reveal widespread torture, deaths of detainees in Taliban custody

According to a study released by the UN on Wednesday, nearly half of the occurrences of rights breaches against those held by the Taliban authorities were acts of torture and other ill-treatment committed primarily by police and intelligence personnel.

According to the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 18 persons also passed away in police, intelligence, and prison custody over the course of 19 months ending in July 2023.

Since taking over the nation as foreign forces left in 2021, the Taliban have staffed and run both the police and the intelligence service.

“In attempts to extract confessions or other information, detainees were subjected to severe pain and suffering, through physical beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, stress positions and forced ingestion of water, as well as blind-folding and threats,” UNAMA said in a statement.

Other infractions included not being told the reason for the arrest, being denied access to counsel, and receiving subpar medical attention while being held.

About one out of every ten offences involved women. Nearly a quarter of those who were violated were journalists or members of the civic society.

The Taliban-run ministry of foreign affairs responded to the report by claiming that it was inaccurate, particularly about the number of journalists or civil society advocates impacted by the recorded infractions.

According to the ministry, efforts are being made to strengthen oversight and ensure adherence to the supreme leader’s directives that forbid torture and confession-forcing.

The United Nations described the directives as “encouraging signs” and noted that access to the inmates was permitted but called for more action to redress the situation.

“These documented cases highlight the need for urgent, accelerated action by all,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA.

“There is a pressing need to consider more engagement with the de facto authorities to end these practices.”

(With agency inputs)