US State Department Report: Taliban Continues to Detain Individuals Affiliated with the Former Afghan Government

Bayan News – The US State Department recently released its 2023 report, examining human rights situations in at least 200 countries, including Afghanistan and Gaza.

The report was presented on Monday, April 22nd, with an official speech by Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State. The Secretary of State strongly criticized the behavior of the Taliban, who continue to engage in human rights abuses.

According to the report, despite announcing a general amnesty, the Taliban still continue to detain citizens, particularly those affiliated with the former Afghan government. The report states that Afghan citizens have been arbitrarily and unjustly imprisoned without due legal process in most cases.

The report highlights that the Taliban, in violation of organized legal procedures, held individuals in long-term detentions last year without any clear connection to the law, and violated their rights to legal representation.

The US State Department report asserts that all Taliban detentions have been unjust, as these detentions lacked clear legal basis, and the detainees were not provided with reasons for their arrests.

The report states that, despite these findings, the United States will not recognize the Taliban.

The Severity of the Situation for Afghan Women

A section of the US State Department report addresses the current situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. According to the report, women and girls have not only been deprived of work and education but have also been confined to their homes.

According to the report, the past year has been marked by suffering and despair for girls, and the policies of the Taliban have inflicted emotional and psychological harm upon them.

Based on this report, the Taliban has issued directives that contradict Afghan laws and the country’s commitments under international conventions.

The report states that the conditions for women and girls worsened in 2023, as they have not only been deprived of the right to work and education but also faced multiple restrictions imposed by the Taliban, limiting their activities to their homes.

The report highlights violations of human rights, including massacres, severe physical abuse, harsh and life-threatening conditions for women, unjust detentions, abductions, disappearances, unwarranted or unlawful intrusions into privacy, and punishments inflicted on family members for potential offenses.

According to the US State Department, violence and threats against ethnic and religious minorities, including Hazaras, Sikhs, Hindus, Shias, Salafis, Ahmadis, and LGBTQ+ individuals, are also present under Taliban control in Afghanistan.

The report states that under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, there is widespread disregard for the rule of law, and individuals who violate human rights are immune from punishment.

Taliban’s Response

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the interim Taliban government, has responded to this report, calling it unlawful.

Mujahid stated in an audio recording that Western countries should not impose their culture on other nations.

The Taliban spokesperson said, “What is defined as culture and human rights in America and other Western countries is different from Afghanistan, and the West should not impose its culture on other countries.”

Taliban’s Reaction to the US Annual Report: Westerners Should Not Impose Their Culture on Others