UNAMA has documented over 1,600 cases of prisoners’ rights violations in 29 provinces of Afghanistan

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has documented over 1,600 cases of human rights violations against prisoners who have been subjected to mistreatment and torture while detained or imprisoned.

In its report released on Thursday, September 20th, the UNAMA deputy office in Afghanistan stated that over 1,600 cases of human rights violations against prisoners have been registered. These prisoners have experienced mistreatment and torture while under detention or in prisons.

The report, compiled by the UNAMA Human Rights Division, covers the period from January 1st, 2022, to July 31st, 2023, and documents these cases in 29 provinces of Afghanistan.

According to the UNAMA report, nearly 50% of these violations involve acts of torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. These incidents have predominantly occurred during arrests and in detention facilities under the control of the Ministry of Interior and intelligence agencies.

The report reveals that practices such as electric shocks, suffocation, applying pressure and threats, forced water consumption, and blindfolding have been used as means to obtain information or confessions from prisoners. These methods often involve physical beatings.

Despite guidelines issued by the Kabul interim government authorities aimed at better protecting the human rights of prisoners and regulating the behavior of security forces, these documented violations persist.

Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated in this report, “Personal accounts of beatings, electric shocks, waterboarding, and many other cruel and degrading acts, accompanied by threats against individuals and their families, are deeply disturbing.”

The UN human rights official clearly stated that torture is prohibited under any circumstances. He called on relevant authorities to take specific measures to halt these acts of misconduct and hold the perpetrators accountable.

UNAMA has urged the Kabul interim government authorities to take action to establish a stronger legal framework and address the obstacles in the criminal justice process resulting from the high volume of arbitrary and unmonitored detentions.

The report further states, “Arbitrary and prolonged detention of individuals awaiting completion of investigations exposes prisoners to an increased risk of abuse.”

Additionally, according to Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Roz Otunbayeva, the documented cases demonstrate the need for immediate and urgent actions by all relevant authorities of the Kabul interim government.

The Special Representative stressed the crucial need for increased engagement with the current government officials in Kabul to put an end to these actions. She expressed hope that the report and its recommendations would be prioritized, reaffirming the commitment to the people of Afghanistan and their efforts to maintain constructive engagement with impartiality and good faith.

Thus far, the authorities of the Kabul interim government have not provided any response to this UNAMA report.