The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced that the Taliban’s prison administration has committed to opening prison doors for UNAMA observers.

Rosa Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, welcomed this “sustained commitment” for access to Afghanistan prisons.

In a statement released on Thursday, October 10, Otunbayeva expressed her support for the Taliban’s commitment to ensure that human rights teams have access to prisons across the country, including women’s prisons.

So far, the Taliban has not responded to UNAMA’s statement.

This is the first time the UN has announced that it has secured a promise from the Taliban to allow human rights groups to monitor prison conditions.

Otunbayeva stressed that all prisoners have basic rights that must be fully respected and ensured.

UNAMA also reported that Otunbayeva held discussions with the head of the Taliban’s prison administration.

Following her visit with several female prisoners, Otunbayeva emphasized the need for more efforts to support prisoners’ rights and explore alternatives to incarceration.

UNAMA highlighted the increasing number of prisoners in the Pul-e-Charkhi prison, with the Taliban’s prison administration reporting between 10,000 to 11,000 prisoners across the country, including 1,000 women and nearly 900 minors.

UNAMA stated that prison monitoring is a vital part of its mandate, given by the United Nations Security Council. The organization also expressed concern about the lack of legal services for prisoners, especially women.

The report comes amid ongoing allegations of torture and human rights violations in Taliban prisons, particularly against former military personnel and activists.