Taliban Accused of Torturing Afghan Returnees Amid Forced Deportations

Islamabad, July 24 (AP) - A recent UN report disclosed that the Taliban have subjected Afghans, forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan, to torture and threats because of their identity or past. Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans, labeling them as undocumented immigrants. Afghan authorities have called on their nationals to come back, promising amnesty for those who left following the Taliban's 2021 takeover. However, human rights organizations and the UN have consistently cautioned that returnees risk persecution due to their gender, affiliations with the former Western-supported administration, or occupation. The UN mission’s report on Thursday highlighted severe human rights abuses faced by these returnees, with many going into hiding or relocating to avoid Taliban retaliation. Violations include torture, mistreatment, arbitrary detentions, and threats to personal safety by the Taliban. A former government official reported to the UN that after returning to Afghanistan in 2023, he was captured, subjected to brutal torture using sticks and cables, waterboarded, and mocked with an execution. In another account, a non-binary individual described being beaten harshly, including with the back of a gun. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasized that no one should be forced back to a nation where they face persecution risks due to their identity or history. This is even more critical for Afghan women and girls, subjected to various oppressive measures equivalent to persecution based on their gender, he added. The Taliban have enforced stringent restrictions on Afghan girls and women, barring education beyond the sixth grade, most employment, and access to numerous public spaces. In response to the report, Taliban authorities denied any mistreatment of Afghan returnees and dismissed allegations of arrest, violence, or intimidation based on identity or history. They asserted that returning Afghans from neighboring countries receive support for documentation, transportation, resettlement, and legal assistance, and the Interior Ministry provides a “warm welcome.” They urged the UN mission to curb forced deportations and emphasized that the United Nations "should not hesitate" to fulfill refugees' essential needs such as food, medicine, shelter, and education. As Afghans have fled their homeland in vast numbers over the years, many are now faced with expulsion drives, especially in Iran and Pakistan, or an uncertain future due to decreased refugee support. Thousands of Afghans in the US recently lost deportation protection after a federal court declined to delay the Trump administration's cessation of their legal status. The US Department of Homeland Security argued that conditions in Afghanistan were improving in its decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans. However, advocacy groups argue that the country remains deeply perilous. The Trump administration’s suspension of a refugee program in January stranded thousands of Afghans, mainly in Pakistan, while travel bans have further dashed their resettlement hopes in the US. (AP) GRS GRS

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