Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has released its three-month report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, highlighting ongoing human rights violations across various dimensions.
The UNAMA report, published on Thursday, May 2nd, covers the human rights situation in Afghanistan during the first three months (January, February, and March) of the current year, addressing issues such as civilian casualties, women’s rights, media freedom, detention, torture, mistreatment, extrajudicial killings by former government members, physical punishment, and cases of execution.
In the section concerning civilian casualties, it is reported that from January 6th to January 11th, 2024, three explosive incidents occurred in Kabul, resulting in 79 civilian deaths and 68 others injured.
Other explosions, including one on March 21st in Kandahar, are documented in the UNAMA report, with ISIS claiming responsibility for the majority of these explosions.
Regarding women’s rights, the report highlights the ban on girls’ education in secondary schools and high schools. According to the report, the enforcement of the hijab guidelines and the ban on girls’ education by the Taliban regime authorities continues unabated.
The UNAMA Deputy Mission in Afghanistan also reported that the Taliban recorded five executions from August 15, 2021 (since its renewed control over Afghanistan) until the end of March 2024. This includes two executions on December 7, 2022, and June 20, 2023, in the provinces of Farah and Laghman, and three recent executions carried out in Ghazni.
The UNAMA documents continue to indicate that freedom of expression and the media in Afghanistan face complex challenges, which have been exacerbated by serious economic challenges during the first three months of the current year.
The report also mentions the detention of the editor-in-chief of Khama Press, who was arrested on February 17th for publishing a report on the declining presence of girls in Kabul city following the arrest of girls on charges of improper veiling.
UNAMA concludes that in addition to the ongoing violations of women’s and girls’ rights and the intensification of restrictions against journalists and media outlets, the overall human rights situation has not improved.
The Taliban regime has consistently denied reports from the international community and organizations, asserting their inaccuracy. As Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban administration, stated in an interview with Tolo News after the report’s release, the UNAMA report is not accurate.