Washington (Kubha News) – The U.S. Department of State has published its annual report on the state of human rights in the world for 2023. The report provides a detailed account of the human rights situation in Afghanistan, with much of the findings based on United Nations reports.
The report from the U.S. Department of State states that during the Taliban’s second year of rule in Afghanistan, they have engaged in arbitrary arrests, detentions without cause, torture, harassment, and persecution of Afghans. In some cases, individuals have been forcibly disappeared and eliminated from society.
The U.S. Department of State emphasizes that Washington still does not recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government. However, a significant portion of this report addresses the violation of women’s rights by the Taliban. It states, “The Taliban, in their second year of rule, have not reversed their previous decisions regarding the restriction of girls’ education and show no sign of flexibility in their stance. The Taliban have not adopted a legal framework for governance and have even violated international commitments that Afghanistan had made.”
The report also accuses the Taliban, along with ISIS, of recruiting children as soldiers, with children under the age of 12 reportedly serving in Taliban ranks.
The U.S. Department of State has received information that despite the Taliban’s amnesty decree, Taliban fighters have not adhered to it. They have engaged in arrests, torture, and even the killing of former government officials, with no accused individuals of such misconduct being investigated.
The U.S. Department of State questions the judicial system of the Taliban government, stating that, along with denying accused individuals access to defense lawyers, they have seated graduates from religious schools and vocational graduates aged twelve or less in judicial positions, issuing judgments.
While the Taliban government has not responded to the U.S. Department of State report, previously, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that all decisions of their judicial bodies are based on Sharia law, and judicial institutions make utmost efforts to ensure fair and just judgments based on the guidance of their leaders to judges.
Although more than two years have passed since the closure of schools to girls above the twelfth grade and eight months since the ban on girls attending universities, the Taliban government still emphasizes its position from the early days of its rule over Afghanistan. Officials from the Ministries of Education and Higher Education say that with the finalization of educational and schooling procedures, schools and universities will be open to girls again.