The United Nations has raised renewed alarm over persistent human rights violations in Afghanistan, reporting that at least 14 former members of the Afghan security forces were killed between October and December last year, while dozens more were arbitrarily detained, tortured, or ill-treated, despite repeated assurances by the Taliban of a general amnesty.
In its latest quarterly human rights report, released Sunday, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented a pattern of abuse targeting former government officials and members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). The report recorded at least 28 cases of arbitrary arrest and detention and seven cases of torture or ill-treatment during the three-month reporting period.
UNAMA noted that some of those targeted had recently returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan, raising concerns about the safety of returnees. In one incident on 9 December, two men linked to the former government were shot dead by unknown assailants in Parwan province shortly after returning from Iran. One victim had previously worked for the former interior ministry, while the other was related to a former deputy police chief.
The Taliban, who seized power in August 2021, have consistently claimed they granted a general amnesty to former officials and security personnel. However, UNAMA and international human rights organizations continue to document killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and abuse, casting serious doubt on the implementation of those pledges.
The UN report also highlighted the continued use of public executions and judicial corporal punishment by Taliban authorities.
On 16 October, a man convicted of murder was publicly executed in a sports stadium in Badghis province, while on 2 December, another individual convicted of killing 13 members of a single family was executed in a stadium in Khost province. In both cases, executions were carried out by gunshot by relatives of the victims. UNAMA noted that one executioner was reportedly under 18 years old.
These incidents brought the total number of judicially sanctioned public executions since August 2021 to 12, according to the UN.
UNAMA further documented judicial corporal punishment against at least 287 individuals, including 30 women, three boys, and one girl. Punishments included public floggings, often imposed alongside prison sentences. In Zabul province, 19 people were publicly flogged after being convicted of offenses including theft, adultery, and same-sex relations.
The report warned of intensifying restrictions on freedom of expression and media operations. Several television stations were ordered to halt broadcasts showing images of humans or animals, while Shamshad Television in Kabul was temporarily shut down in October without explanation.
In Khost province, Taliban officials ceased appearing in video interviews with journalists from December, further limiting public access to information and reducing transparency in governance.
UNAMA reported continued aggressive enforcement by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Between October and December, the UN recorded at least 520 arbitrary arrests and detentions and 50 cases of ill-treatment linked to enforcement of rules on beards, dress codes, music, and prayer attendance.
In Nangarhar province, officials burned at least 657 confiscated musical instruments as part of the ongoing ban on music.
The UN expressed deep concern over persistent and systemic violations of women’s rights. Since early September, Afghan women including UN national staff have been barred from entering UN premises nationwide. By the end of December, 115 consecutive days had passed without Afghan women being allowed access to UN offices.
Women and girls remain banned from higher education and medical training, and women were excluded from national medical graduation examinations held in November. In Herat province, Taliban authorities enforced strict dress requirements, at times preventing women without full coverings from accessing hospitals, markets, and public transportation.
UNAMA also documented restrictions on women’s freedom of movement, including prohibitions on entering markets, exercising outdoors, or traveling without a male guardian.
The report recorded multiple cases of gender-based violence, including forced marriages, despite Taliban decrees formally prohibiting the practice. In one case, a girl under the age of 18 was detained after refusing a forced marriage and remained in custody.
While Taliban authorities announced amnesties and sentence reductions for thousands of prisoners, UNAMA reported that new arrests continued to exceed releases. As of early November, Afghanistan’s prison population stood at between 30,000 and 32,000 detainees.
UNAMA reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, warning that continued abuses particularly against former security personnel, women, journalists, and civil society undermine accountability, rule of law, and fundamental protections.
The UN stressed that meaningful improvements in human rights are essential for Afghanistan’s long-term stability and for restoring trust between the authorities and the international community.
