UN Report: Taliban Violating Rights of Afghan Returnees with Torture and Arbitrary Detention

A report issued by the United Nations has revealed serious human rights violations committed by Taliban authorities against Afghan returnees forcibly repatriated from Iran and Pakistan. The violations included torture, arbitrary detention, and threats to their personal safety.

The report, published by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, explained that the victims belong to specific groups, including "women and girls, individuals associated with the previous government and its security forces, and media and civil society workers."

The UN statement noted that "these violations included torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest and detention, and threats to personal safety," citing that the violations are based on "their specific profiles."

Since 2023, Afghanistan has witnessed large waves of displacement due to forced deportations from Iran and Pakistan, with over 1.9 million Afghans compelled to return by 2025, most of them from Iran. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expects the number to reach 3 million by the end of the year, at a time when the country is facing a severe humanitarian crisis.

In contrast, the Taliban government has denied these allegations, previously affirming that it had issued a general amnesty covering former employees of the externally supported Afghan government and NATO forces during the two-decade conflict.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, warned against returning individuals to Afghanistan if they are at risk of violations due to their identity or history, stating in a previous statement: "No one should be returned to a country where they face the risk of persecution based on their identity or personal history."

Turk added that the situation is "even clearer in Afghanistan for women and girls who are subjected to a series of measures amounting to persecution based on their gender alone."

The report is based on interviews conducted by the United Nations with 49 returning Afghans, shedding light on the risks they face under Taliban rule.