ISLAMABAD: of Afghanistan Taliban the regime has targeted civilians in the north Panjshir province to reach out to suspects it deems part of the National Resistance (NRF), the military coalition against the Taliban includes former Northern Alliance members, the military, and top military-civilian officials of the former US-sponsored regime.
The Panjshir-based NRF is led by Ahmad Massoud, son of anti-Taliban leader Tajik, Ahmad Shah Massoudwho was assassinated in 2001.
Before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Panjshir was the only province of the country that survived the invasion of the former Soviet Union.
However, clouds of war began to hang over it after the Taliban took power in mid-August 2021.
After the fall of Kabul, many US-trained anti-Taliban forces and Nato Former regime forces fled to Panjshir, a bastion of anti-Taliban forces, and joined the NRF led by Massoud to continue the armed struggle against the Taliban.
The Taliban wanted the province to voluntarily surrender but after the refusal of the NRF, they invaded the province in September 2021, but are still struggling to establish their policy towards Panjshir.
Since last month, fighting has escalated in the province, with NRF forces attacking Taliban units and checkpoints. The attacks have prompted the Taliban to deploy thousands of troops to carry out search operations against those it believes support the NRF.
“Taliban forces in Panjshir quickly resorted to beating civilians in response to their fight against the NRF,” he said. Patricia GossmanDeputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“The failure of the Taliban to punish those responsible for serious abuses within their ranks puts more civilians at risk,” Gossman added.
A human rights campaigner who interviewed several former prisoners last week told HRW that Taliban security forces detained about 80 residents in the Khenj district of Panjshir and beat them up for information on the NRF.
After days, rights advocates said, the Taliban released 70 people, but continued to hold 10 people, relatives they accused of being members of the resistance, a form of punishment. group.
“The Taliban in Panjshir have imposed collective punishments and flout the protections enjoyed by detainees,” Gossman said. “This is just the latest example of abuses by the Taliban in skirmishes in the region 10 months after they took power.”
According to HRW, former detainees, said the county jail has detained nearly 100 other people accused of having ties to the NRF.
“No one has access to their family or their lawyer. Others have been detained in informal detention facilities,” the report stated, adding that denying detainees access to lawyers and family members was prohibited and increased risk of torture and forced disappearance.
Human rights groups and the national and international media have reported that the whereabouts of several men held by the Taliban in Panjshir have not been revealed, and that several people suspected of having ties to the NRF have been arrested. kill.
In some places, the bodies of those killed were displayed as a stark warning to others.
The Panjshir-based NRF is led by Ahmad Massoud, son of anti-Taliban leader Tajik, Ahmad Shah Massoudwho was assassinated in 2001.
Before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Panjshir was the only province of the country that survived the invasion of the former Soviet Union.
However, clouds of war began to hang over it after the Taliban took power in mid-August 2021.
After the fall of Kabul, many US-trained anti-Taliban forces and Nato Former regime forces fled to Panjshir, a bastion of anti-Taliban forces, and joined the NRF led by Massoud to continue the armed struggle against the Taliban.
The Taliban wanted the province to voluntarily surrender but after the refusal of the NRF, they invaded the province in September 2021, but are still struggling to establish their policy towards Panjshir.
Since last month, fighting has escalated in the province, with NRF forces attacking Taliban units and checkpoints. The attacks have prompted the Taliban to deploy thousands of troops to carry out search operations against those it believes support the NRF.
“Taliban forces in Panjshir quickly resorted to beating civilians in response to their fight against the NRF,” he said. Patricia GossmanDeputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“The failure of the Taliban to punish those responsible for serious abuses within their ranks puts more civilians at risk,” Gossman added.
A human rights campaigner who interviewed several former prisoners last week told HRW that Taliban security forces detained about 80 residents in the Khenj district of Panjshir and beat them up for information on the NRF.
After days, rights advocates said, the Taliban released 70 people, but continued to hold 10 people, relatives they accused of being members of the resistance, a form of punishment. group.
“The Taliban in Panjshir have imposed collective punishments and flout the protections enjoyed by detainees,” Gossman said. “This is just the latest example of abuses by the Taliban in skirmishes in the region 10 months after they took power.”
According to HRW, former detainees, said the county jail has detained nearly 100 other people accused of having ties to the NRF.
“No one has access to their family or their lawyer. Others have been detained in informal detention facilities,” the report stated, adding that denying detainees access to lawyers and family members was prohibited and increased risk of torture and forced disappearance.
Human rights groups and the national and international media have reported that the whereabouts of several men held by the Taliban in Panjshir have not been revealed, and that several people suspected of having ties to the NRF have been arrested. kill.
In some places, the bodies of those killed were displayed as a stark warning to others.
