UNAMA Releases Human Rights Report on Past 10 Months

The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan on Wednesday released its findings on the human rights situation in Afghanistan since the August 15 collapse of the previous government.

The report highlights the human rights situation between 15 August 2021 – 15 June 2022. 

Speaking to reporters in Kabul, UN deputy special envoy for Afghanistan Markus Potzel said that “the education and participation of women and girls in public life is fundamental to any modern society,” and the “relegation of women and girls to the home denies Afghanistan the benefit of the significant contributions they have to offer.”

While reading from the report, UNAMA Chief of Human Rights Fiona Frazer said that the “rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and freedom of opinion are not only fundamental freedoms, they are necessary for the development and progression of a nation.”

“They allow meaningful debate to flourish, also benefiting those who govern by allowing them to better understand the issues and problems facing the population,” she added.

UNAMA highlighted its key findings for the period 15 August 2021 – 15 June 2022:

• “2106 civilian casualties (700 killed, 1406 wounded) predominantly caused by improvised explosive device (IED) attacks attributed to ISIL-KP and unexploded ordnance (UXO).”
• “160 extrajudicial killings, 178 arbitrary arrests and detentions, 23 instances of incommunicado detention and 56 instances of torture and ill-treatment of former ANDSF and government officials carried out by the de facto authorities.”
• “59 extrajudicial killings, 22 arbitrary arrests and detentions and 7 incidents of torture and ill-treatment by the de facto authorities of individuals accused of affiliation with self-identified “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province.”
• “18 extrajudicial killings, 54 instances of torture and ill-treatment and 113 instances of arbitrary arrest and detention and 23 cases of incommunicado detention of individuals accused of affiliation with self-identified ‘National Resistance Front.'”
• “217 instances of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments carried out by the de facto authorities since 15 August 2021.”
• “118 instances of excessive use of force by the de facto authorities between 15 August 2021 and 15 June 2022.
• “Human rights violations affecting 173 journalists and media workers, 163 of which were attributed to the de facto authorities. Among these were 122 instances of arbitrary arrest and detention, 58 instances of ill-treatment, 33 instances of threats and intimidation and 12 instances of incommunicado detention. Six journalists were also killed during the period (five by self-identified Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province, one by unknown perpetrators).
• “Human rights violations affecting 65 human rights defenders, 64 of which were attributed to the de facto authorities. Among these were 47 arbitrary arrests, 17 cases of incommunicado detention, 10 cases of ill-treatment and 17 cases of threats and intimidation.”

Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, in reaction to the UNAMA report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, said the report is “inaccurate” and there are no extrajudicial killings and if anyone commits them they will be punished based on Sharia. Mujahid called the findings of the report in this regard “propaganda.”

Regarding the figures above, the report noted: “Since one individual may have suffered more than one violation (e.g., one person may have been arbitrarily arrested, held incommunicado, tortured and/or threatened), the number of violations is higher than the number of individuals affected.”